For Lydia: A Stydia Collection
by monochromemermaid
Summary: A collection of one-shots, drabbles, AU's and prompts from yours truly, all centered around the human and the banshee. Latest Update: 2) All of the times Lydia realizes her feelings for Stiles / canon / Lydia-centric
1. Peach Roses, White Gardenias

**Title: Peach Roses and White Gardenias**

**Ship: Stydia**

**Rating: T for language**

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Lydia didn't know when it all started. Hell, she didn't even know how it started. But sure enough all the tell-tale signs were there. Her heart sped up whenever he was around. Her witty remarks weren't as quick to match his sarcastic ones. His voice sent a wave of relief through her veins whenever she was frightened or panicked. She would trip over her words and get them all jumbled up. She found herself thinking about his eyes all the time. Those stupid brown eyes of his held _so _much feeling that she felt captivated by them. She saw the concern in them and whenever they were locked onto hers, she felt her stomach flutter. And worst of all, she knew exactly how many moles dusted his pale neck and face. She was undoubtedly falling for Stiles Stilinski.

At first, she told herself it wasn't true and spent every ounce of energy denying it. She chalked it all up to the loss of Aiden. Sure, she didn't necessarily love Aiden, but his absence was a hell of a lot more permanent than Jackson's, making the scar a little bit deeper. She needed a wall, someone to lean on, someone to talk to. A rock would have been better but after Alison... even Scott wasn't that strong. And naturally, he offered before she even asked. And he was there for her through every second of it.

Whenever she needed him, all it took was a call and a 12 minute wait. She'd wait at the door for him and he'd listen to her. Or let her cry. Or just be there to make it easier. She knew it was selfish, using him like that, but it was too comforting to turn away. And sometimes even after he helped her, he still wouldn't leave. They'd talk for hours and she found herself growing fond of the way he threw himself into a conversation, using his limbs as some sort of advantage on getting his point across. She'd stare at his hands a lot, watching as his long fingers never really stopped moving.

And slowly, she got better. They all did. But Stiles didn't stop coming over. It became routine. And she was faced with the truth.

So she told herself to shove it as far back in her mind as it could go. She couldn't brush it off anymore, so she would ignore it. Each and every time they were together, it was staring her right in the face. So she merely avoided the problem. If she pretended it didn't exist, maybe her feelings would go away. She blamed her lack of verbal skills on sleep deprivation. Of course she couldn't talk articulately when she got less than six hours of sleep a night. She blamed the calming effect of his voice on the basis that they were friends, and that he had been by her side through the craziest times. Of course she found comfort in his voice. She blamed her interest of his eyes on the fact that their color was very unique. His eyes weren't muddy like most brown eyes. They had flecks of gold in them that intensified them. Of course she'd be intrigued by them. And she blamed the memorization of the exact number of moles on his upper body on the coincidence that, of course, it was her favorite number.

But the facade came crashing down when Malia sauntered up to the two between physics and pre-calculus, asking Stiles oh so casually to be her date to the spring formal. And as he agreed with a kind smile, Lydia felt her heart smash into pieces and there was no pretending that she didn't have feelings for the boy.

She told him she'd be right back, putting on a smile before turning around and walking towards the office. Her heart - sorry, the remaining pieces of heart - were pounding in her throat and her brain was screaming a thousand different things. Her chest physically hurt and her stomach felt like someone took it and flipped it right upside down. She just concentrated on her steps, taking her mind off the pain she felt.

_ 'Left, right, left, right, come on Lydia, you're almost there.' _Somehow, she managed to make it to the office, put on her last fake smile, and ask the secretary to be excused for the day. And then she was in her car, tears running and occasional sobs coming out as she let herself feel as stupid as she felt. _'Did you expect him to still like you, after he's seen you at your worst? Did you really expect him to wait for you, he's been waiting since the third freaking grade Lydia! You were stupid to think he wouldn't get bored, to think you hadn't put him off for too long. Well now you've done it.'_

She found herself at Beacon Hills Cemetery with a bouquet of flowers. She had been here quite a few times in the past weeks, but she found herself turning left instead of right at the fork of the entrance. She didn't know exactly where she was going but she had an idea. She had seen him this way last time he had brought her.

She found what she was looking for and plopped down onto the ground, not really caring whether the grass stained her skirt. She knew she'd be here for a while. She took in the words carved into the marble headstone.

**CLAUDIA STILINSKI **

**"Beloved wife and mother, always remembered and cherished"**

"Hello. My name's Lydia. I'm not sure if Stiles has told you about me, but he really used to like me." She said, looking down at the bundle of flowers. "And I say used to because I'm not really sure he does anymore. But that's not why I'm here." She looked back up at the words and felt sadness pang her nerves.

"I've seen pictures of you. He doesn't talk about you much. It's not 'cause he didn't love you or anything, it's just... He just... he still hurts about it. I can tell. He told me about you once. It was the only time. He kind of just opened up like a flood gate and let it go. I'm really sorry I never got a chance to meet you. You sound amazing. You're probably wondering why I'm here. I just wanted to talk to you. I just uh... I wanted to thank you. That sounds kind of weird because I never knew you, but you raised Stiles into a wonderful person. You'd be so proud of him. He's been nothing but kind and thoughtful to me from the first day we met. He's always there for me no matter what, and I know I'm not the only one. He's there for Scott too. He's just such a good guy, you know? Those are so hard to come by, trust me.

"His dad definitely helped raise him too because he'll do anything to protect the people he cares about. Don't get me wrong, it's a great quality and it's one that makes Stiles who he is. I've lost count of how many times he's protected me. He's even saved my life and I'm unbelievably thankful for that. The problem with Stiles is that he just doesn't think of the consequences. He doesn't understand that throwing himself into danger to save someone else is just so... so stupid! You probably know this, but recently we almost lost him. He was trying to protect us, but he didn't realize... he didn't realize that even though he didn't care if he got hurt... we'd be devastated. Actually, he's the one who taught me that.

"A while back, he told me that death doesn't happen to you. It happens to the people around you. It happens to everyone left standing at your funeral, wondering how they're going to pick up the pieces and carry on. I didn't understand it at the time, but after I lost someone really important I uh... I kind of figured it out. And when I thought about standing at his funeral, I couldn't do it. He's the one who's gotten me through everything. Tell me, how do you just go on when the person who's gotten you this far is gone? How do you live after that? Thankfully, he's still here, but it just... it made me realize how I feel about him.

"I brought these for you. They're kind of just to thank you, again. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have your son to help me. He's truly such an amazing friend and I'm really sad you're not here to see it. The girl that ends up with him is going to be the luckiest girl in the world. Which reminds me... I picked these out. There's two different kinds. There's peach roses and white gardenias. Well um, the peach roses are supposed to signify gratitude. And the uh... the white gardenias mean something I'm not quite ready to say out loud but I think you know what I'm talking about." Lydia finished her long improvised speech, wiping at the few tears that had spilled over. She didn't think it would feel so relieving.

"God I adore you." Lydia whipped her head around to see Stiles there with glassy eyes, staring at her with absolute admiration.

"Stiles? Wh-What are you doing here. How long have you been there?" Lydia said, rubbing her eyes and trying to make it seem like she wasn't just crying about him and her and everything else that seemed to be wrong.

"Well, you never came back. So I got worried." He admitted, taking his hands out of his pockets and stepping closer to where she sat. Lydia felt embarrassed by the whole situation, focusing her eyes on the flowers she had laid down at the base of the gravestone. "So I asked the secretary and she told me you signed out. She also told me you sat in your car for a good five minutes before you left." He leaned back on his hands and looked at her, trying to get a reaction. He got none. He sighed and sat up, resting his arms across the top of his knees.

"You never answered my other question."

"Okay, I've been here long enough. I figured you'd come here, but when I saw you over here, I was surprised. But then I saw the gardenias and I knew."

"You knew what?" She asked, finally looking up at him and immediately regretting it when his stupid, _stupid _eyes locked with hers.

"Lyds, my mom was a florist." Her eyes widened and she tried to get to her feet as fast as possible but he was quicker.

"Stiles, let me go!" She yelled, trying to break out of his hold and run away. She came here for some sort of resolve, for some sort of closure, and she was going to end up leaving even more heartbroken and embarrassed.

"Lydia, stop!" Something about his tone made her stop thrashing and listen, looking up at him. "Have you not been here the entire time? Look, I am in love with you Lydia. Ever since the first time I saw you across the playground I knew I had to have you. I didn't know you then but now? If three years ago somebody had told me that I would be best friends with Lydia Martin I definitely would not have believed them. But look at where we are now. You can be tough and strong and you can put up an act around everybody else but I know the real you Lydia. I've seen you, vulnerable and exposed, terrified even. I have seen everything you try to keep bottled up and trust me Lydia, there is not a single part of you that I am not in love with. I want you, all of you, and don't try and tell me I don't know what I'm getting myself into because I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm merely cutting my ten year plan on making you fall in love with me down by two." He confessed, moving the hair that the wind blew behind her ear.

"Then why would you say yes to Malia?" She asked quietly, not wanting to get her hopes up.

"Because she's a friend and I didn't really want to hurt her feelings!" He really was a good guy. He was too good, and she knew it. She shook her head and pushed his arms away, trying to stalk off to her car only to have him grab her hand again and pull her right back. "Look I'm sorry but I didn't think you'd want to go with m-."

"Why do you want me huh? Why not her? She's easy and it's not complicated and she didn't make you wait eight years just to realize what was standing in front of her! I didn't even realize it Stiles and it took her like two seconds! And don't even get me started on how you've been there for everything. You've seen me at my worst and yet you still want me and I just don't understand how?" It was all the truth.

"God damnit Lydia! I love you and I want you, only you! What's so difficult to accept?" Stiles said, waving his arms about getting exasperated with the strawberry blonde. When she didn't answer he just took a step closer, lifting her face to look up at him

"I don't deserve you." She whispered, her eyes closing. It was the truth. He was too good of a guy and she couldn't be that selfish.

"Too bad." Stiles said. He didn't even give her a second to think before his lips crashed onto hers.

Lydia's mind completely blanked out and her heart started beating a hundred miles per hour. His lips were so soft against hers and she couldn't think of anything except how _right _it felt. She felt one hand on the small of her back, bringing her towards him while the other cupped her cheek gently. Her body went on autopilot as she kissed him back, trying to pour just a fraction of what she felt for the brown eyes boy into it. Her every nerve was oversensitive and she was convinced none of it was real. She was the first to pull back, looking up at him with pure wonder.

"I think I love you too Stiles." She whispered as he ran his hand through her hair.

"Guess it's not a secret anymore." Stiles said with a smirk. Lydia just rolled her eyes and shoved him away, looking down at the bundle of flowers and the headstone again. She felt Stiles arm wrap around her shoulder and pull her in tight against his body. She didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around his waist. It just felt so natural to her to be with him like this.

"How was I supposed to know your mom was a florist." She muttered. He knew she wasn't looking for a real answer.

"Hey mom, this is the girl I used to tell you about. She's something, isn't she?" He said, pressing a kiss to Lydia's hair. Lydia didn't really want to leave but it was starting to get dark and cold, and she hadn't eaten all day. They didn't really feel the need to say goodbye as they turned to leave, breaking away from each other to head to their separate cars.

"I'll meet you over at your house in a little bit!" Stiles said as he walked towards his Jeep. "I just gotta do something first, then we'll order pizza."

"What do you have to do?" Lydia asked confused as she unlocked her car door. She leaned her arms on the roof of it as she watched him clamber into his beat up blue vehicle before the engine roared to life and he stuck his head out the window.

"I have to tell Malia that I can't go to the formal with her anymore because I have a girlfriend!" He shouted before speeding out of the parking lot, not giving her time to argue it (not that she would have anyway). She smiled, shaking her head as she got in her own car and drove off towards home. The town was quiet as she drove through the streets.

She still couldn't wrap her head around it. She had somehow fallen for Stiles. Out of all the guys in that town, she just had to fall in love with Stiles. But the truth is someone had seen it coming long ago. "Ali... you were right." She whispered. She had a feeling her best-friend heard her, wherever she was, and that for all Lydia knew, she probably had something to do with it too. No matter what, she had Stiles now. She didn't have to lie and pretend anymore. Granted, he would probably insist they do something stupid like make it Facebook official and there was no doubt in Lydia's mind that he would drag her down the hall hand in hand tomorrow to show their new relationship status off to everyone, but honestly, she wouldn't have it any other way.

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** A.N.- So in case you're confused, which most of you probably are, peach roses often express gratitude and white gardenias are very symbolic of secret love. I would've put that BEFORE the fic, but it'd spoil it a bit. Hope you enjoyed! **

**P****.S.- The time frame for this was pre season 4**


	2. Three and a Half Months

**A.N.- Welcome to the second addition to the Collection! The first piece was like a fluff sandwich with an extra layer of fluff thrown on top with a side of fluff, and trust me I don't typically write stuff that bad. This piece is actually kind of depressing so you've been warned. Sorry for the short length it's a quick one**

**Title: Three and a Half Months**

**Summary: "God Lydia... I'm sorry." He said, looking at the ground and shaking his head. "We were about to tell everyone. We were past the safe mark and I just... I'm sorry."**

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The words echoed in his head like some sick joke, taunting him over and over again. It felt like a nightmare and all he wanted to do was wake up, but sure enough he had ten fingers and this was real. He felt like a piece of him had just been torn out and ripped up. At first he had felt sick, but by the time they had got home he felt numb. He couldn't believe it, it just didn't seem real. And if this was how he was feeling, God, he couldn't even imagine how she felt.

He had watched her fall apart, and he had barely enough conscious strength to comfort her. He had just wrapped his arms around her as he tried to wrap his head around it. He knew how devastated she had to be, the whole thing was so unexpected. Everything was going great, so when it happened... he just couldn't believe it. She just sat there and cried the whole way home, and he let her. He knew it was best for her to get it out now so they drove in silence except for her occasional sniffle.

When they had gotten home, she had locked herself in the bathroom. He let her. He knew she had to be alone for a little, that she'd come to him on her own. He, on the other hand, kept trying to understand it. It didn't feel real to him, not in the slightest. He never thought something that didn't technically exist yet could affect him so much, but here he was. It felt like they had been robbed, it really had.

And he knew this had to be ten times harder for her. He frowned as he looked over towards the bathroom, standing up and making his way over. Even if she didn't need him right now, he needed her.

He cautiously opened the door and what he saw really broke his heart. She was sitting on the edge of the tub with her arms wrapped around herself and tears streaked her face. She looked up at him when the door opened and he could tell she was trying her best not to cry as her lip quivered and her eyes watered.

He walked over and sat beside her, sighing and wrapping his arms around her just like he had in the hospital. "Let it out Lyds." And that was all it took before she was sobbing into the crook of his neck and he felt his heart aching for them. He just kissed her hair and ran his hand up and down her back, trying to provide comfort as her hands grabbed at his shirt and it tightly in her fists.

"It's not fair Stiles. How could th-this happen t-to us?" She cried, pulling away and looking up at him. Stiles saw the pain in her eyes and he honestly had no idea how she was handling this.

"God Lydia... I'm sorry." He said, looking at the ground and shaking his head. "I mean there was nothing we could've done. But... we were about to tell everyone. We were past the safe mark and I just... I'm sorry." He said quietly. He felt her hand grab his as she ran her thumb over the back of his hand. She always did that.

"It's not your fault." She said quietly. They sat there in silence with just their small gestures as communication, trying to find comfort in each other though they both knew they probably wouldn't.

"We lost..." She trailed off, her voice raw from crying but he knew what she meant. _Their baby_. They had lost their baby. He felt a strain in his throat and a sting in his eyes as he heard her say that. This woman was so strong. She'd been through so much, and after everything now she had to deal with this? She was the woman who had carried their baby around for three and a half months. And to be told that she lost that life inside her... he couldn't imagine it.

"I know Lyds. I know..." He said as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He had a feeling she was done crying so he stood up and offered his hand to her. She took it and he helped her stand as they made their way to their bed. "Just try and get some sleep for now, okay? It's five in the morning, and you've been through a lot."

"I know this affects you too Stiles." She said softly as they sat on the bed. Instead of climbing under the covers, Lydia sat on top of them, looking over at him. "I know it hurts you too. Maybe not as much, but pretty close." As she said this, a small sad smile graced her features and Stiles couldn't help but feel admiration for her.

"How are you so strong and beautiful?" He asked. He honestly wanted to know the answer. Through everything they had been through, she always maintained some sort of grace. In any situation, she was nothing less than brave and it was rather extraordinary. Even he had had come doubts in himself.

"Because Stiles... I know we'll try again." She said. This time her smile was a little less sad as she proceeded to climb under the covers and burrow herself in his arms. He just wrapped his arms around her tiny frame and pressed her to his chest, letting her words sink in.

"You're right." He said, thinking about it. He figured it'd be a few more months before they tried again, but he knew they'd have a little baby with strawberry blonde hair and big brown eyes one day.

"And maybe this time it'll be a little girl, just like you've always wanted." She mumbled against him sleepily

"Yeah... maybe it will."

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**A.N.- Sorry that was so short, it was just a tiny little idea that I had and I figured I'd give it a shot. Well I hope you enjoyed it!**


	3. Because She Deserved At Least That

**Title: Because she Deserved at Least that**

**Rating: T**

**Warnings: Language, Major Character Death, Angst**

**Summary: And if there was one thing he would make sure of, it was that he'd keep that last promise he made to her, no matter what. Because she deserved at least that.**

**A.N.- Okay, if you're easily triggered please don't read! It's angsty and sad, so if you're looking for fluff, it's not here. BUT, if you're in the mood for a sobfest, here it is!**

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It all happened so slowly, as if the whole universe had slowed down ten notches. He saw the creature behind her, its hands at the ready. He knew that she knew it was behind her the instant their eyes locked. He opened his mouth to scream, to say something, _anything_, but nothing came out. Not a sound. His voice was gone, caught somewhere in the depths of his throat. He felt frozen in place as he watched, helplessly and horrified. He wanted to run, to protect her, to save her, God he would do _anything_ to save her at that moment. But he knew he couldn't. He could merely watch on the sidelines.

He heard Kira scream her name and he dimly acknowledged that Scott was running to her, but it was too late. He knew Scott would never get to her in time. And from the look on her face, so did she. As much as he wanted to look away, to tear his eyes from the inevitable fate to follow that would haunt his dreams for months, maybe years, he couldn't. Her eyes were locked on his and he refused to be a coward and turn away.

He saw as it raised its arms, and everything happened in slow motion. He looked at her, eye to eye across the pavement that separated them. She stood there unmoving, she didn't even flinch. She just looked straight back at him. He saw emotions and memories flicker across her eyes like a flash. Then her lips moved.

_I'm sorry. _

And at that moment, he knew what she'd done. She knew she was going to die tonight. She came here, knowing her fate and she didn't even warn him, she didn't warn anybody. She was a banshee, of course she knew she was going to die. And she had, for some unbelievably fucking stupid reason, accepted it. Then she did the strangest thing that made his stomach churn, she _smiled_. Here she was in her last moments, and she had the _will_ to _smile_ at him. And he felt sick because only Lydia Martin could be seconds away from dying and show the heroic ability to accept it all with a small, graceful smile. His eyes flickered up to the tear that began to run down her cheek and he looked back to her eyes one last time before the creature knocked her straight on the temple with such power that her neck immediately snapped to the side and she fell to the ground.

He heard someone scream, but he wasn't really sure who. His world was filled with static. His vision was blurred by tears. He didn't even know it was possible to produce tears that quickly. He saw as Scott tackled the creature in the background but he was mainly focused on her tiny limp frame, laying unmoving on the hard asphalt. He felt like the monster had hit his chest instead of her head, and that his heart had exploded and he felt the overwhelming urge to throw up. But then he saw it.

_She moved._

It was just her hand, just a tiny twitch, but it was enough to get him to run faster than he'd ever ran before. He sprinted across the pavement, nearly tripping twice as his legs pumped even faster than when Peter had attacked her. He felt a mix between a scream and a sob of her name choke its way out of his throat as he ran to her, kneeling by her body. He heard a low grumble from her body and he choked out another sob as more tears began to blur his vision and he shook his head in pure defeat.

He did the only thing he could do. He gently picked her head up and placed it on his lap as soft as possible. He ran his hand through her strawberry blonde hair and he almost cried out again when her eyes opened up. He saw her striking green eyes and he felt something ripple down his heart and throughout his body as he continued to shake his head. He knew she couldn't hold out for much longer, and it felt like a cruel joke. He didn't know what was worse, watching her die from a distance, or holding her as the light drained out of her eyes, but he didn't have much of a choice now. He felt his stomach knot up again as she smiled up at him.

"Stiles." She murmured, reaching her hand up and placing it on his. At that moment, he just wanted to yell, to scream and curse at the world, but he held it all in. He wanted to be strong for her. Because she deserved at least that. "Stiles..." she murmured again, her voice a bit stronger and her eyes a bit wider.

"Lyds, it's gonna be ok." He whispered quietly, brushing her hair out of her face and cradling her face gently. "You're gonna be ok." He felt his heart twist with every single word because they both knew it was a lie. He just had to tell himself this wasn't real. It was the only way he could keep it together.

"Stiles, listen to me." She croaked, her voice wavering and he finally glanced up at her eyes. They were big and pleading and he really couldn't deny her because they were in _this _situation. So he merely nodded. "I knew." She whispered, her eyes widening again as she looked up at him. "I knew Stiles. But it's... it's okay." She whispered up to him, that god damn fucking smile on her face again.

"How can this be okay?" He cried softly, holding her body tightly, his hand clutching hers. She was so limp and frail in his arms and he felt like this was all a cruel and twisted nightmare. This couldn't be real, no. But sure enough, her hand held his lightly and she reached the other up and placed a palm on his cheek, looking straight into his eyes.

"Because... it will be. Okay?" She whispered quietly. He could literally see the life draining out of her and he's never wanted to hide more than that moment. "Don't worry Stiles." She whispered, her eyes closing for a few seconds before slowly opening up again. He looked down at her, feeling utterly helpless and crushed. He saw it in her eyes, pure acceptance. And he felt fucking horrible and broken and just sick. Because nobody could fix this. All he could do was hold her as the life poured out of her and her eyes closed forever. Because she deserved at least that.

"Before I go... I just wanted you to know... I love you Stiles." She whispered. And he couldn't hold it in as sob after sob choked its way out and the tears fell and he clutched her hand for some sort of support as he felt pure anger overwhelm his body and flood his veins. "I just want you to be happy. Okay? You have Malia now." She whispered quietly. Stiles looked at her and he finally saw the look of hurt she so desperately tried to mask.

"Lydia, **no.**" Stiles said, watching her carefully as her eyes drifted shut again before slowly opening again. He wiped all the tears out of his vision and looked her dead in the eye. "Lydia I will always love you. I swear, I will." He said fiercely. "I will love you until I take my very last breath, I promise." He said. She smiled up at him sweetly and he took that moment to take her in once again. Her pink, plump lips were beginning to pale. Her strawberry hair seemed limp. But her eyes, and her smile... they were still her. And he looked at her and he felt his heart swell just a tiny bit as he took in her tear-stained cheeks and the soft curve of her lips and her forgiving eyes. He even memorized the way her eyelashes were damp and clung together with tears.

"I know that." She croaked, and he knew it wouldn't be long and he felt his heart just break and shatter. He didn't know it was possible to feel this heartbroken. He didn't know this level of pain even existed. But it did, and he felt every ounce of it. "That's why I'm sorry." She whispered, a raspy and light laugh barely escaping her lips. "But I have to go." She whispered up at him, her eyes staying closed just a little bit longer now. "I have to." She said, opening them back up to look at him.

And he finally smiled back at her. He pursed his lips into a thin line and nodded as the tears came back and he ran a hand through her hair one last time. "I love you Lydia Martin." He put every bit of emotion he could into it. She deserved at least that. He took this moment to remember the way his heart, as shattered as it was, speed up and nearly skipped a beat as she looked at him.

"I love you too Stiles Stilinski." Her voice wasn't even a whisper, it was lower than that, but he heard it, and he lifted her tiny body up to his lips as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

And then she was gone. He knew it the second her hand went limp and her eyes fluttered shut and his whole body felt numb, not just his heart. Everything hurt. And he looked down at the first girl he ever loved and he finally felt the raw pain of his throat and the intense sting on the back of his eyes.

He laid her down gently and just sat there, staring at her limp, unmoving, _dead_ body. And he shut his eyes. There was never a time more than this that he wished he could just go back and change everything. He wished he could go back to the very moment it all began and stop all of it from happening. He just wanted to take it all back.

And he couldn't.

So the tears fell again and he kept his eyes shut, even as he heard Kira's soft cries and he felt both Scott and Malia sit beside him. He just couldn't believe it. It felt so real and so fake at the same time. She was gone. Forever. And there was no way to get her back. He'd never see her laugh again. They'd never fight like a married couple again. He would never kiss her again as long as he lived. Because she was gone.

All he kept remembering were the three things she had said. _It's ok. I love you. And I'm sorry. _

He refused to look at her. He knew she was still laying on the pavement, but he couldn't do it. It might have been selfish but he wanted to hold onto that last memory of her. Even as she was dying in his arms, Lydia Martin was still the most beautiful girl he had ever and would ever see. And if there was one thing he would make sure of, it was that he'd keep that last promise he made to her, no matter what. Because she deserved at least that.

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**A.N.- OH MY GOD I CRIED WHILE WRITING THIS. Seriously, even I hate me for writing this. Well I picture the creature as a berserker probably and this happening towards the end of Season 4. I don't know, I listened to Flightless Bird American Mouth and then I word-vomited this onto my laptop. I'm so sorry. I hope you sort of liked it.**


	4. Because they Deserved at Least that

**A.N.- Hey guys, this is the epilogue to Because She Deserved at least That! So if you haven't read it, it's one of the chapters (I think it's chapter 3?) Hope you guys like it!**

**Title: Because they Deserved at least that**

**Warning: Angst, major character death(s)**

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The air was bitter and cold around them, nipping at any available skin it could find. It was very suitable for their current situation. It was that time of the year between autumn and winter when everything is just so dry and the wind is frigid and there's just enough snow dusting the dead grass.

Scott stood with his feet apart and his hands hanging at his sides. Stiles stood with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Both of them had their eyes glued on the two stones that stood before them. On the ground were two bouquets of roses, pink and red.

"It's been 12 years Scott." Stiles murmured, his voice low and ringing with emptiness. His amber eyes weren't as bright as usual. They were glazed over and a bit hollow. He hated coming here for more reasons than one, but he knew he had to do it. For her.

"I know. It's been 13 years for..." Scott replied. He wasn't as bad as Stiles, but the pain he felt was obvious as his voice faltered and trailed off. He liked coming here to visit her, but he just couldn't do it as often as he used to. He couldn't handle it.

Another thick silence settled over the two men as their hearts beat with an ache that they had tried so long and so hard to heal. They only came here once a year now. They used to come a lot more. Stiles came every day for two years after it happened, and Scott planted flowers every spring. Lately though, just being in the cemetary... it dug up too many memories. But without fail, Stiles and Scott came to see them every December because they deserved at least that.

"Stiles... do you ever think how different our lives would be if they were still here?" Scott asked quietly, looking over at his best friend.

"All the time." Stiles replied, keeping his eyes glued on the gravestone in front of him. "We'd probably both have families with them by now. You guys probably would've gotten married first and had a badass son with some cool French name. Then we'd get married, have a little daughter named Claudia... with her hair and my eyes. We might even be neighbors and watch our kids play together. One of them would end up pregnant again, I would guarantee it. It would've turned out the way we always dreamed." Stiles said. And they both knew it was true. They had had way too many weird dreams and talked about it way too many times for it not to be real.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I love Kira." Scott said, glancing back at the two cars that sat in the otherwise empty parking lot. Stiles glanced back too and he could see Kira and Malia leaning against the outside of their cars.

"I know man, I love Malia too. It's just... you know that if they were still here..." Stiles didn't really need to finish that sentence. As much as they loved their wives, they knew it was supposed to be different. _That's the way it would have been._ Stiles took one last look at their wives before looking back at the roses that lay against the frosty grass. "We should probably go. It's been a while." He said, clearing his throat and looking over at his best friend. Scott merely nodded and kneeled down, picking up the red roses and placing them in front of the stone on the right. Stiles did the same, except he picked up the pink roses and placed them in front of the stone on the left.

The stone on the right belonged to Allison Argent. The stone on the left belonged to Lydia Martin.

The only real difference between the two besides their names were the year on the other side of the dash that symbolized their lives and the color of the roses that laid on the ground. They both were the same gray color, each with a polished, rounded top, and each read "beloved daughter and friend".

They both stood up, taking one last look at the names engraved into the hard, cold marble. Scott stepped forward and placed his hand on top of Allison's while Stiles pressed his two forefingers to his lips before gently pressing them against Lydia's name. They did this every time since the first time they had come here together, about ten years ago. To Scott and Stiles, it felt like they were showing the girls how much they missed each one. It was a way for them to remind the girls that even though they were gone, Scott and Stiles still cared about them and thought about them.

And most of all, it felt like it was their own personal way to tell Allison and Lydia that they still loved them. They still loved them, even if they they were never coming back. And as they turned around and walked away, they both looked back at least once. Because Allison and Lydia deserved at least that.

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**A.N- Well hey guys hope you enjoyed that, it was quick and hopefully ripped out your heart. I was inspired by Jeff Davis's interview on how when Crystal said she wanted to leave, he got kind of upset because he always envisioned Scott and Allison, and Lydia and Stiles together as grown ups watching their kids play, and now that Allison is gone it's never going to happen. I just SERIOUSLY hope he isn't going to get rid of Lydia to make a new vision or something oh gosh. Well, feedback is greatly appreciated even if it is constructive criticism so thanks for reading!**


	5. 8 Months, 3 Weeks

**A.N.- Just some quick Stydia fluff because Pregnant!Stydia is adorable. Sorry I already wrote one before but that was sad and this one is better I think. Heads up, I don't know much about childbirth and pregnancy so if my info is wrong I'm sorry. This doesn't have everything, just like certain parts of pregnancy I thought would be cute for them. It was supposed to be a lot shorter and only in Stiles' view but oh well, hope you like it!**

**Title: Eight Months and Three Weeks**

Summary: "Stiles came home to a home made cake with "Welcome Home Daddy" written on the top. He couldn't be happier because now it was official. The Stilinski's were having a baby."

**Rating: K+ (I think?)**

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Stiles and Lydia had been married two years before they sat down and talked about it. Well, they didn't exactly _talk_ about it. It went more like Stiles begging for a few months before Lydia finally caved in and said yes. They saw doctors to make sure it was possible, and Lydia (being the genius she was) researched something about an "ovulation" cycle or whatever. And after only four months, Stiles came home to a home made cake with "Welcome Home Daddy" written on the top. He couldn't be happier because now it was official. The Stilinski's were having a baby.

They waited the first three months before they told anybody. They wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to their baby. The first trimester was usually the most dangerous time for the baby. And besides that, it was also a bit... rough. Stiles didn't mind the morning sickness and the mood swings that much. He had expected it. And besides, he loved Lydia to death so a little yelling and puking was nothing. No, the first trimester was rough for Lydia. She had been really scared about it at first but she knew how much Stiles had wanted to have kids. And after talking with Kira, who already had Tyler with Scott, she agreed.

Nonetheless, it was still a nightmare. Her body began to change and she hated the loss of control. She wasn't used to it, and the thought that an actual human being was forming in her stomach kind of freaked her out. But Stiles was there the whole time, picking up the prenatal vitamins and scheduling all the appointments. He'd listen to her, and she'd tell him how scared she was but at the same time, they'd talk about how excited they were and how happy they were.

Before they knew it, the three months had passed and the most dangerous state for the baby was over. Stiles was excited to finally tell someone, but of course he asked Lydia if she'd be comfortable telling anybody. After all, she was being affected the most and he wanted to make sure she was okay with it. She wanted to wait another month before telling Kira and Scott and everyone, but there was one exception that the both of them were dying to tell.

So they invited Sheriff Stilinski over for dinner that night. Lydia cooked some pasta and chicken and Stiles bought an ice cream cake with some gender-neutral colored gel icing to write on it with. The sheriff arrived at their house at approximately seven, like he always did when he came over to their house. The dinner went smoothly. Mr. Stilinski didn't notice how Lydia's portions were a bit larger than normal or how Stiles was jumpier than usual. He talked about Melissa a lot (the two had _finally_ started dating) and about some sports game the night before but the couple wasn't really concentrating.

And finally, dessert rolled around. Stiles nearly jumped out of his seat to get the cake. He brought it back with a knife and some plates, he had a huge grin on his face. He glanced at his father and he still looked perfectly normal, not suspicious in the slightest.

Stiles set the cake down right in front of his dad and opened it up. It had "Congrats Grandpa!" written on it in purple with Lydia's neat, slanted writing. The sheriff just stared at the cake for a minute before looking up at the two of them with tears in his eyes. Needless to say there were many hugs given, tears shed, and slices of cake eaten that night.

They had a doctors appointment a little bit after that. It was the second sonogram, but the first one was just to check to see if Lydia was indeed pregnant. Lydia was nervous, and Stiles could tell. He held her hand the whole way there. She got more and more anxious as they sat in the waiting room, but Stiles just ran his thumb over the back of his hand, occasionally lifting it up to kiss the back of it to calm her down.

They told the doctor that they didn't want to know whether it was a boy or a girl. They had discussed it earlier, and they both decided they wanted to be surprised, just like their parents had been. The doctor merely smiled at them and continued on with the procedure.

Then they heard the tiny beating of their baby's heart.

Lydia's mouth formed a small "o" as she listened closely to the synchronized beats. That tiny baby was _inside _her. She was the one carrying them. And this was the life she had suffered through four months of pregnancy for, and Lydia decided right then that she wasn't scared of him or her anymore, that she loved him or her with all her heart and would protect that baby with her life.

Stiles on the other hand was in shock. It had finally hit him that they were having a baby, that in five months or so, a child made completely out of their DNA would be living and breathing on this earth. A tiny baby boy or girl was growing inside his beautiful wife and he couldn't believe that he was hearing that tiny person's heart.

All it took was one look at each other before Lydia began to cry and Stiles just smiled and grabbed his wife's hand as he felt his own tears begin to prick his eyes. Stiles leaned up and pressed a kiss to his wife's forehead as they watched their tiny baby in gray pixels on the screen, both captivated by the image of their child.

Not too long after that Lydia realized her pants didn't fit anymore. She began to freak out about the baby and she was stressed out about all the weight she had gained because of the baby. Stiles sat there and listened to every word she said, just nodding silently. After she had tired herself out and the mood swing had passed, Stiles calmly told her he'd bring her shopping at the local maternity store. Of course the very next day, Stiles found himself in "Motherhood", chasing Lydia from one end of the store.

They knew they couldn't hide it anymore when they first felt the baby kick. They had been shopping for diapers when Lydia felt a flutter in her stomach. Stiles had been so excited to feel it kick and went off about how their baby was going to be a genius _and _an athlete. In addition to the kicking, Lydia's stomach was definitely protruding in more than an "I just gained five pounds" sort of way. So of course, Stiles asked Scott, Kira, Malia, Liam, and even Derek to come over for a small get-together.

The pack had some... mixed reactions. Scott cheered and gave Stiles a hug, saying how awesome it was gonna be and that their own kids would play in the sandbox together. Kira started tearing up, congratulating them and saying how happy she was. Liam was happy for the two, but seeing as he wasn't really close with either he was kind of unaffected. Malia smiled and said she was happy for the two, but Lydia and Stiles both knew she was still bitter. After all, Stiles was her first... something, and the break up between the two hadn't been pretty. And Derek merely hung his head in his hands and muttered about a mini version of Stiles running around his loft.

All in all, it went completely as expected.

They had asked Scott and Kira to stay and help them clean up after the rest had gone home. They didn't really need help cleaning up, the only thing they had to throw out was some paper plates and plastic utensils. Stiles and Lydia sat the couple down and told them that they had decided the only two fit for the role of God parents were the alpha and the kitsune. It's needless to say they graciously accepted and once again congratulated the soon-to-be parents before going to their own home.

About a month later, Lydia was 24 weeks along and getting pretty big. Natalie Martin had taken it upon herself to throw her daughter a baby shower. Stiles had begged to come along but Mama McCall firmly told him "No boys allowed". Lydia was told her husband was being forced to spend the day with Scott and help him watch little Tyler (Scott and Kira's little boy).

The shower was held at her mother's house. It was small, but Lydia loved it and thought it was wonderful. It consisted of Kira, Malia, Melissa, and her mom. The mothers in the group shared their experiences and stories, and Lydia actually had fun, although she didn't learn much. The second she found out she was pregnant she had researched everything from A to Z about babies and pregnancy.

She was delightfully surprised they had actually all gotten her gifts. She had told them they didn't need to buy anything but they all insisted and at the end of the day, Lydia had a stroller and a high chair from her mother, a baby monitor set and a package of bottles from Mrs. McCall, and, Kira and Malia had combined their gift of a car seat for the baby and the cutest baby bag Lydia could have asked for.

She thanked them all multiple times for the gifts. They were like family, and even though their teenage supernatural adventures had ended, they were still a pack and she was thankful to all of them. She thanked each one individually before she left, but Kira pulled her aside and told her that Scott had taken it upon himself to buy his own gift for his god son and that it was waiting for her at home.

When she got home, she noticed Scott's car was gone. It was very quiet and she couldn't find her husband anywhere. He wasn't in the kitchen, the living room, or their bedroom. So that left one place.

Lydia cried when she saw it. It was beautiful. The crown molding that lined the ceiling had a trail of little ducks the whole way around. There was a rocking chair in the corner and a treasure chest full of little plush toys. Then, in the center of the room was a plain white crib with plain white sheets and Stiles was leaning against it, with two little onesies in the each hand.

"Yeah, I had this idea and Scott offered to help. He bought the crib" He said as he approached his wife. "I, uh... I picked the ducks because even when we paint the walls pink or blue, it'll match with either. And uh, I thought you would like these so I picked them up."

Lydia took a second to look at each onesie. They were plain and white, but on each front side it said either "I heart my Daddy" or "I heart my Mommy". And instead of the actual word "heart", there was a red heart. Stiles studied his wife very carefully. He had worked really hard on the nursery the whole day with Scott. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint her.

"Lyds?" His voice was quiet and unsure, but he was relieved when his beautiful wife looked up with watery eyes and a huge smile.

"I love it."

The second trimester finally ended and Stiles and Lydia found themselves in the home stretch.

Lydia began to get really tired of the whole pregnancy thing. Her feet were swollen and her stomach had stretch marks. She had to wear maternity clothes just to be comfortable. Weird cravings still hit her all the time with no warning. Her belly had gotten so big she had to waddle instead of walk. The university forced her to begin her maternity leave. And she had to pee. All. The. Time. But Stiles was unwavering with his support. He knew how hard it must be to go through everything. He had it easy compared to her, so no matter what she needed, he'd be there for her.

One night in particular, when she was about 30 weeks along, about halfway through the seventh month, Stiles was tracing circles on her stomach as she read through some parenting magazines.

"We still haven't decided on a name for you yet." Lydia heard Stiles' voice and looked down to see him laying on his stomach with his face right up by her own swollen belly. He had taken up the habit of talking to the baby. A lot. "I wanted to name you Raven if you were a girl and Logan if you were a boy, but mommy said no."

"Stiles, you wanted to name our child after the X-men **(1).**"

"It would be so cool though!" He exclaimed, glancing at her stomach once more. In almost eight to ten weeks, the tiny person inside that stomach would actually be here, and he couldn't really wrap his head around it. "In all seriousness Lyds... have you thought of more names?"

They had been talking about names since they first found out, and it was a lot harder than they thought it would be. They had looked up names on websites and bought books about it too, but they just couldn't find the right one. There was also the fact that they didn't even know if it was a boy or a girl, but they wanted to be prepared in both cases.

"Of course I have, I just... I want our baby to have the right name, you know?" Lydia said, closing up the book and looking down at her husband. Stiles just smiled lazily up at her and nodded before continuing to rub his fingertips up and down the skin of her stomach.

"I'm sure they'll have the best name. After all, they've got the best mom in the world." He said before looking up and meeting Lydia's eyes.

"Well he or she has a pretty great dad too." Lydia said, smiling down at her husband. Stiles got up and sat by the head of the bed, leaning down to kiss her.

"I love you Lydia Stilinski."

"I love you too Stiles Stilinski."

But they didn't have to wait ten weeks. They didn't even have to wait eight. They only had to wait five.

It had been eight months and three weeks. Eight months and three weeks of Lydia waking Stiles up and making him run out at 2 o'clock in the morning on a Wednesday night to get pepperoni and vanilla ice cream because they had ran out. Eight months and three weeks of doctors appointments and vitamins and waking up at eight in the morning with morning sickness. Eight months and three weeks of mood swings that struck faster than lightning. Eight months and three weeks of trying to pick the perfect name, whether it was a boy or a girl. But it had all been worth it.

Because on May 7, at 11 o'clock at night, Lydia's water broke and they rushed to Beacon Hills Memorial.

It all happened so fast. One minute they were asleep and the next minute, Lydia calmly woke Stiles up and asked if he could grab the baby bag and call the hospital to tell them her water broke. Lydia is certain she had never seen Stiles move or talk so fast in her entire life.

Stiles had the baby bag thrown on one arm and was spitting out incomplete sentences at some receptionist over the phone. He carefully helped Lydia down the stairs and to the car. On an average day, it would take them approximately 15 minutes to get to the the hospital from their home, but with the late night clear roads and Stiles driving, they were there in less than 10.

Stiles hurried out of the car and ran to the other side, wrapping an arm around his wife and helping her out of the car and through the main door of the hospital. Lydia was concentrating on breathing deeply, inhaling and exhaling. She didn't feel any painful contractions yet but she knew the worst was yet to come.

"Mrs. McCall!" Stiles yelled across the lobby. Melissa looked up and her eyes widened as she rushed over. "Her water broke at 11:09 PM." Stiles stumbled a bit over his words as Melissa got a wheelchair for his wife.

"Alright, well you got here at a good time. We're gonna get her prepped, you should call Scott."

"Hey Lyds, I'll be right back okay? I'm gonna call our parents and Scott and then I'll be right there." Stiles murmured, kneeling on the ground next to her. Lydia looked over at her husband and nodded, her lips pursed in a line. Stiles ran a hand through his wife's hair. "I love you." He pressed a soft kiss to her temple before he rushed outside and called his father, Lydia's mother, and Scott. He told them all to get to the hospital as quick as possible with no real explanation because it wasn't necessary.

When he got to the hospital room, Lydia was already in a hospital gown with her hair tied up and her hands on her stomach, breathing deeply to help ease the pain. She smiled as Stiles sat by her side and she reached out for his hand. He offered it and the doctor's caught him up on what he had missed.

Apparently, Lydia's labor process actually began around 9 PM, but she had dismissed the movement as kicking (he was definitely going to hold that one over her head). She was already five centimeters dilated and was making progress much faster than the average child birth. The doctors asked her one more time if she was sure she didn't want an anesthetic. She just shook her head.

Everyone arrived shortly, the sheriff being the first one. One by one they all popped in to congratulate the couple and to offer their love and support. Stiles and Lydia were grateful to have friends and family so willing to be there, at that time of night just for the two of them.

By 3:30 AM, everything was ready. Lydia was at ten centimeters and there was nothing to do but bring her baby into the world.

Stiles held her hand the whole time, telling her repeatedly how much he loved her and how she was amazing and beautiful and how she could do this. He let her squeeze his hand and yell and scream but he stayed by her side, brushing the hair out of her face as she became tired and sweaty from all the work. And he meant every word of it because his wife, his small wife that was barely five foot three and 110 pounds was having their baby and she really was amazing.

Lydia was determined. No matter how bad it hurt, no matter how bad she wanted to just stop and run away, she kept going. There was no turning back now. And she didn't know what she would do without Stiles by her side the whole time. He encouraged her through all of it, reminded her how much it would be worth it when the little baby was here. She thought back to the past nine months and she motivated herself to do this for _them._

And finally, at 4:02 the Stilinski baby entered the world, crying and screaming with closed eyes.

Stiles couldn't help but beam as he saw _their child _in the nurses arms, the umbilical cord still attached. Lydia began to cry and Stiles felt his own eyes get watery at the sight of the baby they had waited eight months and three weeks for. They were so _small_, it felt so unreal to them. That baby was actually theirs.

Before they knew it the cord was cut and the baby was cleaned off and Stiles was holding a tiny baby girl swaddled in a pink blanket in one arm, and his beautiful wife in the other.

"It's a girl." Stiles whispered as they held their daughter together. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She had the tiniest tuft of strawberry blonde hair on top of her head and Lydia had more than a feeling that behind those eyelids, her eyes were the same amazing amber color her father had. She was beautiful, a perfect combination of the two.

Stiles looked at Lydia. Her hair was falling out around her and she was glowing with the whole "I just gave birth" look but he thought she was incredibly beautiful. "You were great." He said to her quietly. She looked exhausted but undeniably happy as she looked down at their daughter with hooded eyes. "Do you have a name in mind?"

"Claudia." She said, looking up at him and her green eyes were big and her lips were smiling and they both knew it was the perfect name. "Claudia Stilinski." She said, nodding her head. Stiles bent down once more to press a kiss to her lips. He pulled back to see her eyes were already shut. He knew soon enough the rest of their friends and family would come in to see the baby, but his wife needed sleep. "I love you Stiles Stilinski." She murmured as she leaned her head into the crook of his neck.

"I love you too Lydia Stilinski." He whispered, his eyes flickering from her to their baby girl who was also asleep. "And I love you too, Claudia Stilinski." The two girls he loved and cared for the most in this world were sleeping in his arms and Stiles Stilinski could never ask for anything more.

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**(1)- In case your comic trivia is rusty, Raven is Mystique (the blue one) and Logan is Wolverine's alias name**

**A.N.- Yeah I really hoped you liked that cuz it was cute like I swear if I could just write Pregnant Stydia fics all day I would. Well I know lots of you read this so I'd love some feedback. And I'll be updating Like Fire and Ice really soon! Thanks!**


	6. Mechanic AU (Part 1)

**Okay, the official title of this is "Thank God for Rental Cars and Seating Arrangements" but it wouldn't fit. So, yeah.**

**"AU Prompt: One of them breaks down and a cute local comes to help them"**

**Inspired by an AU text-post on Tumblr and Dylan O'Brien's Teen Vogue photoshoot. This is part one, there's a second part that strays from the prompt that I'll post later!**

**(It has a bit of a twist to it and is kind of long but I couldn't help it. Contains Scallison and Stydia**** and mentions Malisaac once or twice, but it's the thought that counts right?****)**

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"Great, just great." Lydia muttered as the lights on the dashboard started flashing like crazy and the rental car began to make rattling noises. Lydia didn't know much about cars having moved to New York City when she was 18, but she was almost positive the noises coming from the crappy Honda were **not **normal. She pulled over to the side of the road, huffing in frustration. She had no idea how far she was from Beacon Mills or wherever it was, the rehearsal dinner started in less than two hours, and of course her rental just had to break down. She parked the car on the curb of the desolate back road, running a hand through her hair and thinking of the best possible situation.

She stepped out of the car, deciding to lean against the side of it in case by some miracle another person came along, but she highly doubted the possibility. She hadn't seen another car for the past 30 miles or so. She grabbed her phone, turning it on and pulling up her best friend's number. She heard a voice after the third ring.

"Lydia?" She heard Allison say from the other line.

"Hey, so I have a bit of a problem here..." Lydia said. She heard Allison laugh on the other line.

"What is it?"

"Well, my rental car broke down. I'm not sure what's wrong with it or how far town is from here." She explained. The last thing she wanted to do was distress her bride-to-be best friend hours before the rehearsal dinner.

"Don't worry. Just describe where you are, or maybe something you passed along the way."

After describing the homey looking diner she passed a few miles back, Allison said she knew exactly where Lydia was and that she'd send someone to help her. Lydia had no choice but to wait.

She thought about the last time she had seen Ally. It had been at least two years, maybe even more. The two had been best friends in high school, seeing as they attended the same public high school in San Francisco. They had both planned to stay in California and go to college together, but when Lydia got accepted into NYU's forensic program Allison didn't give her a choice. Lydia moved to the other side of the country to attend New York University and Allison went off to Berkley College.

They kept in touch, but it wasn't the same. Lydia made other friends throughout the years. Kira had been her roommate for three years, and then there was Malia and her boyfriend, Isaac. The four of them hung out a lot. Lydia had also had a relationship with a guy named Jackson. It lasted for a year, which was sufficiently long in Lydia's eyes. She made a new life for herself and a new social circle, but nobody could really replace Ally.

Allison felt the same way. However, she had met Scott while she was at Berkley. She told Lydia all about him and how he was in the animal biology program and was studying to be a veterinarian. Lydia was supposed to meet him when she flew over for spring break their junior year, but his best friend stole him for a guy's week. They said they were going camping (Allison found out later that they'd really gone to Mexico to bail one of their older friends out of jail, and** man**,was she furious).

From what she heard, Lydia thought Scott was perfect for her best friend. He sounded very kind, sweet, and charming. If he was anything like Allison had described, it was no wonder the two were getting married. They were a perfect fit. She was glad that her best friend was getting married to such a great guy. She just hated that it was the day before the wedding and she'd still never been formally introduced to him.

Then again, Lydia had a secret wedding surprise that would hopefully improve their current long-distance friendship issues.

It had been at least twenty minutes since she called Allison. She didn't think town was that far away, the GPS said she was pretty close before she broke down. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair, tying it up in a ponytail. She'd been standing in the hot, California sun for a while and if there was one thing Lydia liked about New York, it was that the temperature hardly -if ever- rose above one hundred degrees. Lydia was about to open the hood and take a look at the thing herself when she saw a tow truck approaching from behind the corner a little further down the stretch of road.

"Finally." She muttered. She pushed herself off the hood, mentally preparing herself to open a crossfire of interrogations at the guy, but any coherent thought she had flew out the window the minute he stepped out of the truck.

He was very handsome, Lydia concluded that the moment she laid eyes on him. He had these bright brown eyes that were like a melted amber color. His hair was a dark brown and looked like it was gelled up. Lydia felt the urge to rake her hands through it, wondering how soft it was. His lips were a dark pink and were curved upwards in a smirk. His face and neck were speckled with moles here and there, and Lydia could feel herself staring at them, wanting to connect them with the tips of her fingers. He wore a white T-shirt with the same logo on it as the side of the truck (She noted the company was called Stilinski and Son). His face and shirt were smeared with a bit of grease and dirt, but it made him seem all the more attractive. He really looked the part of the local mechanic.

"So, I'm guessing your Lydia." His voice was smooth, flowing, and deep. The way her name rolled off his tongue snapped her out of her daze. She felt her cheeks heating up as he stared at her, obviously amused.

"That would be me." She said, getting a grip on things and nodding. She turned around and gestured to the car. "And this is the piece of crap rental that broke down." She heard him laugh and she immediately loved it. _'God Lydia get a grip on yourself. You're twenty three, not twelve." _She watched as he walked over and popped the hood up. His eyes flickered across the machinery before he glanced up at her.

"Well from what I see, I think something's wrong with your clutch cables. I should probably bring it back to the shop and take a look at it though. I could give you a lift into town too if you'd like?" He closed the hood and kept his eyes on her. Lydia felt herself shaking her head.

"Uh, sure. Just let me get my bags." She said, walking to the trunk. The guy followed her and grabbed her small purple suitcase out of the car.

"Don't worry, I got it." He said, sending a smirk her way that made her cheeks heat up. She felt her fingertips tingle as she followed him to the truck. He opened the passenger door for her and she slid in, taking her bag from him as he shut the door and connected the car to the tow truck.

In less than ten minutes, they were driving back down the road. Lydia looked out the window, taking in the northern California landscape.

"So, what are you in town for?" She turned around to face him as he spoke, his brown eyes focused on the road. Lydia noted how large his hands looked as they gripped the steering wheel.

"I'm the maid of honor for Allison and Scott's wedding."

"How do you know Allison?" He asked her, his eyes flickering over to her briefly before going back to the road. There was something about the smile his lips formed that made Lydia feel like, for some reason, he already knew who she was.

"We went to high school together. We were best friends. And how do you know her?" She asked, quirking her eyebrow as she awaited his answer. He merely shrugged his shoulders.

"It's a small town and there's only one mechanic shop, so..." He trailed off as they entered town, passing a sign that said 'Welcome to Beacon Hills'. _'Huh, so that's the name of this place...'_

He pulled into a small car shop, putting the truck in park and climbing out. Lydia followed suit, hopping out and pulling her suitcase with her. She turned to see the mechanic standing right beside her, his hand out. It took her a second before she realized he had stuck it out for a handshake and she mentally slapped herself as she blushed and shook it.

"Well it was nice meeting you, Lydia." He said with a smirk. "It should be ready soon, I'll give Allison a call when you can come pick it up."

"Thank you, it was nice meeting you too." She finally realized that during their whole exchange, she had never actully gotten his name. Just as she was about to ask him about it, she heard someone call her name from the front of the shop.

"Lydia?" She turned around to see her best friend standing by the entrance and everything on her mind went blank as she grinned.

"Allison!" She ran up to her best friend and grabbed her in a huge hug. She felt Allison squeeze back and she almost laughed at how happy she was to be reunited.

"Gosh, how long's it been? Two years?" Allison said, pulling back and looking over her. Lydia smiled and nodded.

"Something like that. Thanks for helping me out though, I had no idea what to do. Living in New York is a lot different. I take the bus everyday so I never have to worry about breaking down and calling AAA." Lydia said, laughing lightly as she scratched the back of her neck. She was unbelievably happy, it had been so long since she'd seen Ally and the two of them were like sisters. It was way too long for them to be separated.

Allison nodded and returned her smile, but her eyes were looking past Lydia. "Yeah, well we should probably head back. You can go ahead and put your bags away. I gotta go talk to somebody, okay?" Lydia nodded, her eyes turning over her shoulder and wandering to where Allison was looking. She realized it was fixated on the man who had helped her.

"Alright, thanks Ally." Lydia said, turning back and looking at her best friend. She smiled one last time before making her way out of the small mechanic shop and towards the car she assumed was Allison's.

She popped the trunk open and placed her tiny suitcase in it, hopping in the passenger's seat to wait. It had only been a minute or two before her best friend popped into the driver's seat and started the car. She looked a little stressed out but Lydia chalked it up to wedding stress and whatnot.

"Sorry, we were just talking about your rental car. I told him that you were leaving for New York in two days so it had to be ready by then." She said, driving down the street. Her stress vanished quickly as she turned to Lydia, smiling at her best friend she hadn't seen in years. "You have no idea how excited I've been about seeing you! I could not shut up about it, just ask Scott. Oh, speaking of Scott you finally get to meet him!" Allison rambled on and Lydia smiled, a warm sense of comfort filling her as they talked. It was as if they were never separated in the first place.

"So I'm staying at you house tonight, right?" Lydia asked, double checking that she'd only needed reservations at the local hotel for the night after. Allison nodded, keeping her eyes glued on the road.

"Yeah, Scott is sleeping at the best man's house, so you can stay with me tonight. It'll be just like old times." Allison said, and the two laughed at the memories from high school.

"So, how do you the mechanic guy?" Lydia asked curiously, trying not to show her interest.

"Mechanic? You mean... wait, did he really not tell you his name?" Allison asked confused, looking over at her best friend. Lydia pursed her lips together and shook her head.

"Nope. I was gonna ask but then you came in. He knew my name though. I'm assuming he's the son in Stilinski and son, no?" Lydia asked. She turned to the other girl and watched as Allison opened her mouth to say something but she just smiled instead and nodded.

"Yep. He's cute, huh?" Lydia knew Allison was just teasing her but she couldn't help the defense mechanism that kicked in and the blush that flooded her cheeks.

"No..." It was weak, and she knew it.

"Oh my God, you actually think he's cute!" Allison said loudly, laughing as her friend's face turned the color of hair. Luckily for Lydia they were pulling into the driveway of what she assumed was the soon-to-be McCall residence.

"He was attractive, I'll admit it, but that doesn't mean anything." She huffed, pulling her suitcase out of the trunk. Allison just laughed and threw her arms around Lydia.

"Sorry, I'm just teasing. It's good to have you back." She said quietly. Lydia returned the hug and she felt sadness well up inside. They'd spent so much time apart and lost so much time, but that would change soon.

"It's good to be back. Well, where's this man I've heard so much about?" Lydia said as she pulled out of their hug. Allison's eyes widened and she pulled Lydia towards the front door.

"Scott! Look who I found!" She called as they barged through the door. Lydia's eyes landed on someone familiar from all the pictures she had seen. He was a tall guy who looked around her age, maybe a year older. He had short dark hair that stood up in a natural way and tan skin. His eyes were dark brown and he had a unique tattoo on his left forearm. He reminded her of a puppy in a sort of way.

"Hello, I'm Scott. It's nice to finally meet the infamous Lydia Martin." He said, holding his hand out. Lydia shook it, glad to finally have a formal introduction to her best friend's fiance.

"Well it's nice to meet you as well, Scott McCall." Lydia said.

"Okay, I'm sorry to cut this short but the rehearsal dinner starts in about an hour so we better get a move on." Allison said.

Sure enough in an hour they were at the hall where the reception was being held, wearing everyday, casual type clothes. Allison and Scott sat in the very middle of the table. They had opted for a round table and had also chosen to stray from tradition. Scott's mother sat beside him along with Mr. and Mrs. Argent sitting beside Allison. Lydia was seated next to Mr. Argent and next to who she assumed to be the best man, but he was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Stiles?" The woman Lydia believed to be Mrs. McCall asked.

"He was busy but he'll be here tomorrow. I doubt he can screw anything up, but then again it is Stiles." Allison said and the rest of the table laughed.

The rehearsal dinner went smoothly, like any rehearsal dinner should. It was rather boring and quick with no real rehearsing. They had decided to keep the tradition of the best man's toast in the ceremony. However, since the best man -Miles or whatever his name was- wasn't there, there was nobody to make a toast to the couple.

After less than two hours, Lydia found herself leaving the reception hall with the couple and their parents.

"It was great seeing you again Mr and Mrs. Argent. Oh, and it was great meeting you Mrs. McCall." Lydia said as they all headed towards their separate vehicles. The parents exchanged their goodbyes with the three young adults before they climbed into the car they had come in.

"See, that was quick and painless. This wedding is gonna go off without a hitch." Scott said, smiling as he looked out the window. The more time lydia spent around him, the more his behavior reminded her of a puppy.

"Oh, and don't worry Lydia, you'll love Stiles. He's great, funny, he can be a bit sarcastic at times, but he has his sentimental moments. I swear to God though Scott, if he puts even a single Star Wars reference in our toast I will kick him out of the reception myself, regardless if he's been your best friend since kindergarten or not." Lydia laughed at her best friend along with Scott. This Stiles guy didn't sound half bad, she was looking forward to meeting him.

Once they got home, the three of them talked for an hour, trading stories from college and talking/asking about life in the big apple. Before they knew it, it was getting late and Scott had to leave the house (very unwillingly, to Lydia's observation).

"Do I really have to go?" He whined as Allison practically pushed him out the door with a duffel bag of clothes.

"Yes. Besides, we're having a girl's night tonight. You get me all to yourself tomorrow night, remember?"

"No, we have a ten hour flight tomorrow night." Scott groaned. Allison just kissed him lightly and gave him a push down the stairs.

"It's not ten hours you big baby, we're just going to Paris! Besides we have a week after that." She yelled as he walked down the driveway.

Lydia watched from her spot on the couch as the couple said goodbye. She smiled and felt happy for her friend and her soon-to-be husband. They were a great couple, she good see why Allison had so many good things to say about him. They had so much chemistry, Lydia could see that just from their short conversation.

She had to wonder though, would she ever find something like that? She didn't exactly have the best luck in the romance department. The only relationships she'd ever been in was with her high school boyfriend Aiden, which was just a convenient prom date and relatively short lived. And of course, there had been Jackson. She didn't have much time to dwell on her train of thought though because Allison came sauntering into the room shortly after.

"Come on, let's go do the usual." Allison said, tugging her up the stairs to the spare bedroom.

"You mean watch some chick flick, eat popcorn, and talk about guys?" Lydia asked with a smirk as they plopped down on the queen sized bed together.

"Exactly." Allison said, smiling over at her best friend. "I've missed you, and we have a ton of catching up to do." Lydia nodded and grabbed the remote.

"Well I'll start the movie then, you get the popcorn."

They didn't stay up too late considering the wedding and all, but it was a much needed bonding session. They watched The Notebook and ate popcorn, just like the good old times. Allison talked about Scott and his mother and how their parents hadn't gotten along at first but with some convinving everything worked out in the end. She also told Lydia all about how excited she was to get married and how they talked about having kids soon. Scott already had a job lined up at the Beacon Hills Animal Clinic for when he graduated with his masters in the spring.

Allison's whole life was falling into place, and Lydia was happy for her.

Lydia listened to Allison talk herself to sleep, not really caring that she didn't get much of a chance to talk. Her life was pretty routine anyway. Get up, go to work, go to sleep. She didn't really spend time with her friends and there was no fiancee waiting back on the east coast. Besides, Lydia would have plenty of time with Allison soon, so she let her best friend get some rest the night before her wedding and drifted off herself, trying not to think of the cute guy in the grease stained T-shirt and the big brown eyes.

* * *

**A.N. - I hope you all liked it! Sorry it's taken so long to write, my computer was having problems. I didn't really like this first part and originally it was intended to just be a single one-shot but it was taking way too long and I wanted to give all my readers something. There's a TON of Stydia in the next part though, this was just a lot of Allydia and a short introduction of Stydia. Part two should be up soon, within a week or two is my goal. Anyways, I'd love some feedback so leave a review, thanks!**


	7. No

**A.N.- I am working on the second part for the mechanic AU, this is just to hold you guys over because I haven't updated in months! Once I finish, I will put the two pieces of the AU together, followed by this piece. I had a lot of sports and school stuff going on, not to mention the lack of Teen Wolf doesn't exactly help inspire or motivate me, but here's a little something-something for y'all. Enjoy!**

**Summary: From the third grade, Stiles knew that Lydia Martin didn't take no for an answer (Or, the four times Lydia wouldn't take no for an answer and the one time Stiles wouldn't either).**

* * *

_i._

It all started in Ms. Weber's third grade class. A small, eight year old Stiles was swinging by himself on the playground at recess. It was the very beginning of May and the temperature was steadily rising. Stiles usually spent recess with Scott, but his best friend had gotten in trouble that day for starting a food fight (even though Jackson was the one who really started it). Everyday, the two of them played something like cops and robbers or joined the two hand touch game with the other boys, but Stiles really didn't feel like doing anything without his partner in crime.

"Excuse me, can I have a turn?" Stiles heard a small, high pitched voice and he lookd up to see Lydia Martin.

Stiles had known Lydia since they were in the same first grade class two years ago, but they'd never really spoken. He just always noticed her red hair was pretty and reminded him of Ariel and strawberries. And now, she stood in front of him, her tiny hands planted firmly in fists on her hips and her head cocked to one side. Her long hair was in pigtails and she wore a pink dress with white shoes with little pink bows on them.

"What?" Stiles asked, his mind trailing off and forgetting what she had said. The small girl huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms over her chest.

"There's a 10 minute rule on the swings. And you've been on for 11." She said authoritatively.

"And how would you know?" He fired back as his legs kicked against the ground.

"I counted." And he could see the smug smirk on her face that she always wore whenever she finished the Math Puzzle before everybody else.

"But there's an empty swing right there." He pointed to the empty seat beside him but the girl in front of him merely shook her head, her pigtails swishing back and forth.

"That one doesn't go as high though. Besides, you could easily start another turn on that one because yours is technically over." Stiles noticed that her cheeks were starting to get pink, and they kinda matched the color of her dress.

"Well too bad because I'm not moving." He usually would've moved, but for some reason, he just wanted to push her buttons. He didn't really get why, but he wanted to see her react.

As expected, Lydia puffed out a breath and stomped her foot just slightly, her lips pursing into a tight line. And just to prove his point even further, he replicated her smirk from before and began kicking his legs a little bit, swinging back and forth.

She merely let her arms fall to her sides and walked past him, giving up the fight. At least that's what Stiles thought until he felt a small shove on his back and the next thing he knew he was laying face down in the wood chips.

He sat up, dusting the dirt and wood off his Mets sweatshirt and looked up at the swing he had jut fallen from. Lydia stood beside it, one hand quirked on her hip and the other wrapped firmly around the chain.

"Well too bad because I don't take no for an answer." She said, mocking his last sentence as she sat on the swing and began kicking her legs for momentum.

As Stiles walked away, rubbing his cheeks off, he looked back to see the girl with a victorious smile on her face, swinging back and forth contentedly. And from that moment on, he was a goner.

* * *

_ii._

Stiles and Lydia's friendship had been a bit... strained ever since he began dating Malia. It wasn't like he had done it on purpose, but over the past few months they just drifted apart. Stiles told himself it was Alison, that Lydia couldn't handle it and that she had to grieve and cope on her own, but deep down he knew it was all just a bullshit lie he thought to make himself feel better.

It was a rainy night in the middle of April, towards the end of their junior year of high school. Typically, Stiles would be spending the night with Malia, more than likely helping her study, but Kira had dragged his girlfriend off to the mall to go dress shopping. The spring formal was just around the corner and the kitsune insisted that Malia had to go as some sort of right of passage.

Earlier, he had called and asked Scott if he wanted to come over and hangout, but his best friend had another shift with Deaton at the animal clinic. So here he was, on a rainy Saturday night, home alone and watching Star Wars.

He was surprised when he heard a knock at the door. His father was working the late shift at the station, and just about everybody else was busy so he didn't know who it could be. He got up to answer the door anyway.

"Lydia?" The strawberry blond girl was standing in front of him, wearing a cream colored sweater, brown leggings, and red rain boots. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and she held an umbrella over her head in one hand, an AP physics textbook in the other. She lifted it up and shook it around as she smiled at him.

"I was wondering if you needed a study buddy for the big relativity test on Monday." She said shyly. Stiles glanced at the book with wide eyes. _He had completely forgotten about that... _He realized dumbly that she was still standing outside and the rain was practically coming down in buckets.

"Oh, come in." He said, stepping out of the way. Lydia walked in and murmured a 'thank you' before closing her umbrella and slipping off her rain boots. "You're a lifesaver Lydia, I totally forgot about that." Stiles said, shooting the banshee a smile before grabbing the textbook and leading her up the stairs.

As they silently made their way to his bedroom, Stiles tried to think back to the last time they had really spent time together, just the two of them, and he realized it had to have been months. He felt himself frown as guilt flooded his veins.

"Well, I'm glad I could help." Lydia said, plopping herself down on his bed. He watched as she began flipping through the book as he sat in the chair by his desk. "So, I was thinking we could start with Chapter 21?" She asked, looking up at him. He just nodded and smiled over at her.

"Sounds good to me."

And the night continued like that, with Lydia quizzing Stiles on anything that had to do with the concept of relativity and Stiles trying (and failing) to come up with hard questions to stump the girl genius. Before they knew it, an hour and a half had passed and all they had done the whole time was study physics.

"Well, I think I've crammed every single sentence in these chapters into my brain." Lydia joked, laughing and smiling as she gathered her belongings. Stiles glanced at the clock on his computer screen to see it only read 8:30. He was kind of bummed out she was leaving so soon. The night had reminded him of the months he spent with her, becoming friends and actually getting to know the real Lydia Martin. And sure, you could count the time they spent trying to crack the code to the deadpool, but when you're worth 20 million dead, there really isn't many laughs and good times to spare.

"Lydia, wait." Stiles said as the girl walked towards his door. She turned around, her textbook tucked underneath one arm.

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you stay for a while." For some reason, the question fell thick in the air and the room got tense. And for some reason, Stiles found himself begging her not to say no.

He felt relief wash over him as she cracked a smile and nodded. "Sure, like old times, right?"

So she stayed and Stiles insisted on watching Star Wars since he was 'so rudely interrupted in the middle of his marathon'. They ordered Chinese food from the local place in town and they tried to tie in the rules of relativity to Star Wars.

"Sorry I came over unexpected though." Lydia said as the credits to the second movie rolled down the television screen in front of them. Takeout boxes were laying on the table with empty fortune cookie wrappers beside them. "I should've called but I didn't really think of it. Where is Malia anyway?" She asked, bringing up the one subject they had managed to stay away from all night.

"Uh, she went shopping." Stiles mumbled. He felt bad that Lydia wasn't invited. He could've sworn Kira said she had asked her though. He watched as she widened her eyes and pursed her lips, the gears in her mind turning as she thought (a habit of hers he had noticed while ago). She sat up and placed her shrimp lo mein down on the table in front of her.

"Actually, I knew that." She admitted, looking down at the blanket that was thrown over her. "Kira invited me to go with them."

"So why didn't you?" Stiles was confused. Since when did Lydia of all people deny a shopping trip, let alone for the spring formal.

"Well, money's kind of tight with my family right now." She said quietly, folding her hands in her lap and staring at them. "And, I'm not going to the formal anyways."

"Lydia Martin not going to the spring formal? That's unheard of." Stiles joked as he sat up beside her, shutting the TV off and glancing at the clock. It was about 10:30, but they'd had later nights.

"There's just... nobody I really want to go with." She explained, a slight blush coming to her cheeks. "And besides, I knew that... if Malia was shopping, you might be free."

"What?" Stiles was really confused at that point. Lydia just looked up at him and it was the first time he looked at her, like _really _looked at her, in a long time. And he saw how sad she looked.

"Stiles, when's the last time we hung out like this?" He didn't need to answer, because they both knew it. It had been before Malia had come along, before Alison, before the nogitsune. And that was four months ago, at least. "I lost one best friend Stiles, I didn't need to lose the other one too." But there was something in the way she said it that gave the impression to him that there was more to the story than she was letting on.

But Stiles didn't say anything as he watched her gather her textbook and umbrella and slip on her rainboots by the door as she spit out her excuse. "It's late, I really should get home." She mumbled. And just as she was about to reach for the door, Stiles stopped her.

"Lydia, what is this really about?" She turned to face him as he stood up and he walked to where she stood, next to the door. "There's something you're not telling me."

"And I'm supposed to be able to tell you everything, right? Like how my family had to sell my grandmother's lakehouse because we're low on money, and how I might not be able to go to Stanford anymore? Or you know, how my best friend died, and I felt it in my bones when I stayed by your side? How I felt my best friend die and how everybody is just paired up now, except for me, right? I'm supposed to tell you all that. But the thing is Stiles, I can't remember the last time we talked, like really and actually talked besides Eichen House when we were two seconds away from dying. You're always with Malia, and we never get to spend time together. I understood that you were helping her adjust to human life, but then you guys got together and ever since, I can't call you my best friend anymore Stiles. You're not there for me the way you used to be."

And her voice cracked at the last second and Stiles never felt more like crap in his life than that moment where he officially made Lydia Martin, the girl he had been pining over for eight years, cry.

"So this is about Malia." He said quietly.

"No, it's not about her! It's about me, and it's about us, and-" She cut herself off midsentence, shaking her head and pressing her lips together. She just turned for the doorknob and opened the door.

"Lydia, wait, come on! Just talk to me." Stiles said as she opened up her umbrella and stepped outside into the pouring rain. She turned to face him and she just looked so defeated and alone and just sad that it tore him up inside.

"I know you like her Stiles. I know you're with her. I know. But I have to know... do you still have feelings for me?" He could barely hear her over the rain and the space between them, but it was just enough. And he watched as her whole body tensed and she waited in anticipation.

"Lydia..." He was going to say no. He was going to lie and say he had moved on, that he loved Malia now. He really was.

"Stiles..." She trailed off, and when she looked at him with that look, the same one that started it all on that damn playground, he knew he had to tell the truth.

And the truth was that he liked Malia, but he didn't love her. This girl, standing right in front of him in red rain boots that almost matched her hair and tears matting her eyelashes together, this girl was the one he would always love. He'd always have a special place for Lydia Martin, and nothing would ever change that. "Of course I do."

And he watched as she exhaled and nodded curtly before turning on her heel and hurrying down the driveway to her car. Stiles watched as she climbed in and pulled out, speeding off to the other side of town. His mind stayed on those three minutes for the rest of the night, because there was something about the way that she asked him that question that made him think, maybe, just maybe, Lydia Martin had feelings for him too after all.

And he thought about how guilty he felt for having feelings for someone other than Malia, but he knew it couldn't be avoided. It was inevitable, and denying it was impossible. Because Lydia Martin does not take no for an answer, and he learned that a long time ago.

* * *

_iii._

After the incident in April, something just didn't sit right with Stiles. Everytime he was with Malia his mind would wander off to Lydia. He felt guilty but he couldn't help it. So it was inevitable when they broke up just before summer break. Surprisingly enough, Malia was the one to end things. She said she felt like something was different, she could sense it.

Stiles had taken the summer off. After all, Malia had been his first real relationship and he needed time. The last thing he wanted was to jump into another relationship, especially with Lydia. But that didn't stop the two from being inseperable. From theme parks to county fairs and carnivals, the two were always together, even if they were with the pack or the sheriff or just the two of them.

Stiles was just glad to be getting close to Lydia again, like the old times before everything had happened. She really opened up to him and vice versa. They talked about everything, from the future to the upcoming year, and even the past with Alison and Aiden. It felt like they had just taken a step back in their friendship but were starting to take two steps forward.

When September rolled around though, Stiles felt like he was running out of time. In less than a year they'd be off to college and he knew Lydia had been dreaming of Stanford since she was in elementary school, and he sure as hell wasn't getting into that school.

So he finally asked Lydia Martin to be his girlfriend, and she gladly accepted. E veryone either thought it was about time or they were very surprised by the pair. In fact, Coach Finstock had to ask three times before he got it right, that Bilinski was actually dating Jackson Whittemore's ex-girlfriend.

And in that same month, their pack (minus Liam) had applied to colleges in the beginning of the school year, sending out everything before the middle of the month. They all applied to multiple schools. They had their saftey schools, their dream schools, and the ones that fell in the mix.

It was November, in the middle of their Thanksgiving break in their senior year, and one by one their acceptance letters had come in.

Malia had applied to some state schools and was looking into the local community college, but she was holding off on her final decision. She was really looking into taking a year off before college to explore other options. Scott had gotten accepted into 4 out of 5 of his schools and was bouncing between USC, and Santa Barbara. Kira had been overjoyed when she accepted into UCLA, she had missed the city life more than anything. The pack's power couple were gonna try and work the long distance thing.

Then it came to Lydia. And of course, Lydia had gotten a letter back from almost every school, and so far they had all said yes (of course). UCLA, USC, Santa Barbara, and Berkley had all said yes. She was still waiting on Stanford.

And as for Stiles, he had only applied to three schools. He had one in every category: A safety, a regular choice, and a long shot. He'd heard back from the safety school he applied to and Berkeley. They had both said yes, which was a relief because Berkeley was his top choice.

Stiles was surprised by the pounding on his door at nine o'clock on a Sunday morning. They'd be going back to school after the long winter break in two days, the least his dad could let him do is get some sleep while he could. But nonetheless, Stiles got up and answered the door.

His father stood on the other side, but he wasn't alone. Lydia stood behind him, wearing a purple sweater dress, white leggings, a white scarf, and black knee high boots. Her strawberry blond hair was braided down her back and she must have walked to his house because her cheeks and nose were slightly flushed from the cold. California wasn't that cold compared to the rest of the U.S. in December, so he concluded that she definitely walked. She held an envelope in her hand.

"I know, you need your sleep and all, but this seemed like an emergency." His father said as he turned around and waved a hand over his head. "I'll start on the pancakes."

Stiles looked at his girlfriend, who was oddly quiet and still. He was confused until he noticed the logo on the envelope she had and it clicked. It was from Stanford.

"Lydia?" She took the few steps into his room, beginning to pace back and forth across the carpet. Her hands clutched the envelope like it was her life.

"You know how I've been dreaming about Stanford for as long as I can remember?" She asked. Stiles didn't get a chance to answer before she continued on. "Well now, I have this letter from them, and I haven't opened it yet. I got it yesterday afternoon." She stopped to turn and face him.

"Do you want me to read it for you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her. She began to shake her head and he was suddenly confused.

"No, that's not it. I'm not scared to open it because of what it says. I'm scared to open it because... well... because I think I've changed my mind." She said, locking eyes with him. He was extremely confused. Lydia Martin, the girl with a solid 4.0 GPA (if not higher) wasn't sure if she wanted to attend Stanford, the ivy league school of her dreams?

"What do you mean you've changed your mind? Lydia, all you've ever wanted was to go to Stanford and get your doctorate." He watched as she began to pace back and forth again, her mind trying to put her thoughts into words.

"Yeah, but the more I thought about it, the more I couldn't find a reason to. It's unreasonably expensive, highly selective, and besides, a degree is a degree no matter where you go." She went through her list of reasons, ticking each one off on her fingers. Stiles sighed and stood up, placing his hands on Lydia's sides to still her.

"There's financial aid and scholarships, and I already know you got some because you started applying, like, in August. And as far as getting in goes, they'd be crazy not to take you. You have the highest GPA I've ever heard of and you're valedictorian! And besides all that, you got a 2200 on the SAT. Lyds, it's Stanford. I'm pretty sure there's a considerable difference between a degree from UCLA and a degree from Stanford when you apply for a job." Lydia looked down at the ground, not meeting his eyes. She knew he had just contradicted every excuse for not accepting Stanford. "How about you open it and then you can really think about it, okay?"

She just shook her head again and clutched onto the envelope tighter. "No, I still have another really good reason."

"Oh, and what would that be?" Stiles asked, amused. He couldn't think of a single good reason to turn this opportunity down.

"Well..." Lydia started, placing the envelope down on his desk. "I was thinking about... us." After she said it, the room was thick with tension.

"Lydia..."

"Wait, I'm not finished. We both got into Berkeley, right? And after everything we've been through, do you really think it's a good idea for all of us to just split up and go to different schools, alone? And I don't just mean our relationship, even though I love you and-" Her whole body froze and she stopped dead in the middle of her sentence. They hadn't used the L-word yet...

"You love me?" He asked, a tone of awe in his voice as his eyes locked onto hers. Her lips stayed pressed in a thin line and she nodded sharply before a small smile broke out on her face.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. And I want to go to Berkeley with you." She said. He felt his lips form their own smile as he pulled her in for a hug.

"I love you too Lydia." They stayed like that for what felt like a few minutes before Stiles pulled away. "But if you love me, you should open that letter and see what it says before you make any big decision."

Lydia sighed in defeat and grabbed the letter from where she had placed it. She carefully tore the seal and pulled out the folded letter. Stiles watched her as she scanned the first few lines and her eyes got wider and her mouth hung slightly agape.

"I got in." She said quietly, a bit surprised. Stiles just rolled his eyes and snatched the letter from her hands. Sure enough the first sentence stated her acceptance for the upcoming fall semester.

"Of course you did. And I still think you should go." Stiles said, handing the letter back to her. His girlfriend just crossed her arms and leaned against the dresser.

"I know you do. But I have my reasons." She stated authoritatively in the true Lydia Martin way.

"And I just invalidated all of them." Stiles pointed out, smirking at her. They could both be so stubborn, he didn't know how they worked sometimes.

"Not all of them." Lydia said, matching the smug expression on his face.

"Lydia, you can't just not go to Stanford for me."

"Sure I can, besides there's multiple reasons. You just happen to be higher up on the list."

"No."

Lydia just smiled as she turned and walked towards the door.

"We can talk about this later because I'm dying for some blueberry pancakes, but you know I don't take no for an answer."

Stiles shook his head. And for weeks Stiles made a good case. He thought he might have even convinced her but sure enough, in less than two months they had both mailed in their acceptance letters to Berkeley.

Lydia Martin doesn't take no for an answer, and he knew that, but she was starting to come around.

* * *

_iv._

"So, how's USC?" Stiles asked into the phone as he stirred his coffee.

"It's good. I finally declared my major."

"Oh really, what is it?"

"Veterinarian studies. Predictable, right?" Stiles laughed as he nodded his head, even though his best friend couldn't see.

"A little bit man. And how's Kira?"

"She's good. We're good. She's taking a lot of courses and she's still sticking with teaching. How are you and Lydia?"

Stiles smiled as he looked towards their room. He could see her strawberry blonde hair splayed across the pillow, her body tangled in the sheets. "We're great. Lydia's killing herself with courses though, as usual. And I can't complain."

"Got any plans for tonight?"

"Yep, but Lydia hasn't been feeling that great so we'll see how it goes. I better run, I've got an eight o'clock class but I'll catch up with you later Scott."

"Yeah, see you later." His friend said as he hung up. Stiles placed his phone down and let his mind wander for a second.

Stiles and Lydia had been dating for a while. College had been great for the two of them. They had both settled on their majors in their first year. It was their sophomore year and the two had decided to get a small one bedroom apartment right off campus.

It was February, specifically Valentine's Day. Stiles had had the whole night planned out since New Years. It was their first Valentine's Day where there'd be no roommates or parents to crowd or watch over them. It would be just the two of them. All he wanted was to take his girlfriend out to celebrate. But for the past few days, Lydia had been coming down with something, and the last thing Stiles wanted was to take his girlfriend on a date when she was sick and couldn't enjoy it

He sighed as he stood up, grabbing his books from the desk and walking into their room. "Hey Lyds?" He whispered as he sat down beside her and brushed a hand through her hair. She merely moaned and rolled over. Stiles pushed the hair out of her face, he noted that she felt a little warm. "I've got class but I'll be back at 11, okay?" She just nodded her head and Stiles felt himself smile as he leaned down and kissed her forehead gently.

All throughout his class, Stiles went through the plans he had for them. He had reservations at the nicest restaurant in town. They'd have a nice dinner then maybe go for a walk through the park downtown. He even made sure they both had off work that night. He didn't want to do too much, he had to start the bar at a good level or else he wouldn't be able to top it year after year, which he intended to do.

After class ended Stiles made sure to get home to check on Lydia. He was looking forward to tonight, but if Lydia was sick then he'd be just as fine with a night in, making sure she got better. He entered their apartment, noting how silent it was. Usually by then, Lydia would be up and eating breakfast, watching the news or something. But sure enough when he walked into their apartment, she was nowhere to be found. He placed his backpack on the table before entering the room.

He saw her still bunched up underneath the covers, but her hair was tied up in a bun. He sighed and sat beside her on the bed, placing a hand on her forehead. It was even hotter than it was before.

"Geez Lydia." He murmured quietly. He knew there was no way she'd be okay for their plans tonight. He didn't mind though. He left her to rest some more and went to think of his new plans for that night. He had another class but it wasn't until 12, and he figured Lydia wouldn't be going to her classes so it would be best to head back to campus early.

He sighed, grabbing his keys and contemplating waking his girlfriend up. In the end, he opted to just leave a note telling her he'd be back later and to feel better. He walked back out to his Jeep, climbing into it and heading back to campus, his mind going through all the options he had.

He could run downtown before he returned home and get some chicken noodle soup, Theraflu, and some chocolate for when she was feeling a bit better. That seemed like the only option. He knew Lydia would resist at first, but hopefully a sick Lydia would take no for an answer because there was no way she was feeling up to his plans.

His afternoon classes seemed to fly by and by the time he was leaving campus, it was almost 5. Lydia knew that their reservations were at 6, but she probably still thought she'd be going. He knew he should run home and check on her, but he had a feeling she needed some good chicken noodle soup more so he made his way to the supermarket. He picked up anything he thought would help cure her and get her feeling a bit better. By the time he was on his way home, it was 5:30 and he was really hoping Lydia was still asleep in bed.

The second he entered their apartment, he knew she was up. The bathroom door was shut, the TV was on, and the bed was empty. It was quiet except for the low voices coming from the TV.

"Hey Lyds, I'm home. How are you feeling?" He asked through the bathroom door as he placed the bags down on the kitchen table.

"I'm feeling better." She said, but her voice was muffled by the door. She didn't sound congested or hoarse, so that was a good sign. Stiles still wasn't buying it though, Lydia could put on a pretty convincing act.

"How about you come out here and show me then?" He challenged, leaning across the table and crossing his arms. He waited for the click of the bathroom door to unlock and then she stepped into the living room.

"How do I look?" She asked, twirling around to give him what she like to call the 'full effect'. She was wearing a long sleeved red dress that reached her mid thighs, and at least three inch heels that matched. Her hair was in flowing curls behind her back and her lipstick matched the color of the dress. She looked great, like she was ready to go on a Valentine's date.

"Absolutely not." Stiles said, shaking his hand. Once he looked even closer, he could see the goosebumps that were present on Lydia's bare legs and the fatigue in her eyes was obvious. Stiles closed the space between them in three strides and pressed the back of his hand against Lydia's forehead before she could resist.

"Christ Lydia, you're burning up." He muttered, cradling her face in his hands. Her temperature must've been over a hundred, but she was smiling up at him as if she was fine.

"Stiles, it's just a bit of a fever, okay?" She said quietly, her eyes locked onto his. She was giving him the look that _always _made him cave, but not this time.

"If that's true why is your skin covered in goosebumps?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. She merely rolled her eyes and walked away from him, grabbing her purse and coat.

"So I have the chills. I'm fine, really. I can handle a date Stiles." Stiles wasn't buying any of it, but she must have spent a while getting ready. She really looked amazing, even if she wasn't feeling too hot.

"Whether we go to the restaurant or whether we stay here, it's still gonna be a date." Stiles argued, glancing at the supplies he had just bought.

"Yes, but it's Valentine's Day Stiles! I want it to be a special date. You made plans for it and I want to go." She walked over to where he stood, placing a hand on his cheek. He could feel the difference in their temperatures but he didn't say anything. "I'll be fine, I promise." She said, using that look on him once again and...

"Okay, you win. But don't beg me to make you chicken noodle soup and watch the Notebook when we get back." He said, caving in and grabbing his coat too. Lydia threw her arms around his neck and thanked him by pressing her lips against his cheek before strutting out of their apartment.

Needless to say the date didn't last very long. Lydia ordered some plain pasta dish that she pushed around on her fork and Stiles was quick to pay the bill and skip dessert. By 8:00, they were cuddled up on the couch watching the Notebook with bowls of soup in front of them.

Stiles loved Lydia, with everything he had. Yes, she was stubborn, and yes, she didn't take no for an answer. And, at the end of the night they were exactly where Stiles knew they'd be. But if Lydia didn't take no for an answer, she wouldn't be with him at Berkeley to begin with, so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that she never took no for an answer...

* * *

_v._

He had waited so long for this day, and so had she. But they had very different reasons.

"How do I look?" Lydia asked as she walked into the living room full of their closest friends and family. She wore a green strapless dress underneath a blue cap and gown, and her smile was the most radiant thing Stiles had ever seen.

"You look beautiful Lyds." He stood up and walked across the living room to join her. Her mother was taking pictures and crying, and his father was beaming at him from beside Melissa McCall. Malia and Liam were clapping and cheering from the love-seat and Kira and Scott were just smiling at the couple.

They were finally graduating college. After four years of courses and school work and internships, in a matter of hours they'd have degrees in their hands. Of course Lydia would be going to grad school to get her doctorate, but she had decided to take a year off and get some experience first. A lab close to Beacon Hills had contacted her about doing some research for them as a forensic scientist. Stiles had already secured a job at Beacon Hills Police Department with his father. The future was looking bright for them.

`The ceremony was long and it dragged on but by the end of it, they held degrees in their hands and were surrounded by everyone they cared about. It couldn't get any better, could it? Of course they had to celebrate, and what better place than the Martin's. After all, who throws the best parties?

Everyone had a blast. They were scattered around the backyard and they reminisced about the good old days of high school and dead pools and kanimas. They talked about the past six years and everything that had happened, and they talked about the years to come and everything they could hope would happen. It was a night to remember, but Stiles wasn't ready to call it a night just yet.

By eleven o'clock, everybody had made their way to the kitchen for some pizza and drinks. Well, everybody except for Lydia. Stiles looked on from the patio as his girlfriend laid in the grass, staring up at the stars plastered against the sky. She was still wearing the green dress, her hair was fanned out around her and Stiles took a moment to take her in because in that moment, Stiles couldn't remember a time when Lydia was more beautiful. He smiled as she spotted him and waved him over, and he happily obliged. He plopped down next to her as she sat up into a sitting position.

"Wow, I can't believe it's only been six years since I got to know you. Can you believe that? Can you believe everything we've been through?" Lydia asked fondly, looking over at him. It was the same look he was used to, not the one from third grade or the one from Valentine's Day two years ago. No, it was a look of awe and love, and it was one she gave him often. It was the one that made him feel like he could do anything. And it was the one that gave him the ridiculous amount of courage and bravery he needed to speak.

"Lydia, I've liked you since the third grade. The day you pushed me off that swing was the day I realized how different you were. And I thought, at one point, that I loved you. But now I realize it wasn't even possible because I didn't know the real Lydia Martin. The only time I had seen her was that day on the playground. And I liked her a lot. Then we started talking, like really talking.

"We started spending time together. I got to know you. I got to know your fears and your hopes and I liked everything I saw. And I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when Allison died. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you after she died. And I'm sorry she can't be here now, because I know you'd give anything for that. But Lydia, I loved you then. Even when I was with Malia, you were always there. Nothing and nobody could change the way I felt about you.

"And it wasn't until you said you'd come to Berkeley with me that I realized you loved me too. I realized this could work. And I was surprised because as much as you showed it, I never thought it was possible to win over Lydia Martin. But you said you loved me. And the moment you said, I knew we'd be right here one day, I knew that the impossible was suddenly possible.

"Then, I fell in love with you. I would do anything and everything I could for you Lydia. When you were sick our sophomore year of college, all I wanted was to make you happy, to make you feel better. And I realized that you'd do the same for me when you got ready despite your fever of 102 and you still looked amazing, even if you didn't feel like it. I get that you wanted that date, but I know you didn't want to let me down. It was the same reason why I would've sat on the couch and watched the Notebook two times in a row and cooked you all the chicken noodle soup we had.

"Lydia, you are the most amazing woman I've ever known. You're smart, you're gorgeous, and the list is infinite but I'm trying to make a point. I am so in love with you Lydia Martin. And if I've learned anything the past six years that we've known each others, it's that you never take no for an answer, or at least that's what you always tell me. I think you're starting to come around, but for now I'll take a page out of your playbook."

Stiles finished his speech and dug around in his pocket before he found the small black box. Lydia had never lost the look in her eyes the whole time, and as he pulled the small black box out of his pocket he realized her eyes were teary and her lips cruved into the widest smile that made the radiant one from earlier dull in comparison. Lydia Martin was beautiful, radiant, stunning, gorgeous, amazing, and stubborn. And hopefully, she would agree to be his.

"Lydia Martin, will you marry me?" He asked, opening the box. In the soft vevet of the box lay his mother's wedding ring, a beautiful and simple thing that Stiles knew Lydia would love. She nodded her head yes and pursed her lips together before a grin spread out on her face and she laughed quietly, almost inaudibly and she looked at him.

"Of course I will." She said quietly, trying her best not to cry. She held out her left hand and he grinned as he slipped the ring onto her finger and it fit perfectly. It looked just as beautiful as he imagined it would. He looked up to see his fiancee looking down at the ring in awe, turning her hand from side to side.

"Good, because I wasn't gonna take no for an answer." He said, his voice quiet and light. She looked up at him and leaned forward, pressing her lips to his. He felt the tears on her face as her lips moved with his and he smiled as he kissed her back. When she pulled away, he found that she was smiling too as she tried to wipe the remainder of the tears away.

"I love you Stiles." Her eyes were fixed on his and he looked down at the ring once more. He had never felt more whole in his life, and he really didn't have words to explain it. So he merely grabbed her left hand and it brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss onto the backs of her fingers before intertwining their hands and wrapping the other around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. She rested her head on his shoulder and he pressed a kiss to her hair and nothing had ever felt more right in his life.

"I love you too Lydia." And he always would.

* * *

**A.N.- I've had that in my drafts since November and I finally got around to finishing it. Well, let me know how you liked it!**


	8. Soul-mates AU

**Prompt- Everybody in the world has a soul mate, but what would happen if you knew exactly when you'd meet them?**

**WARNING: Extreme fluff**

* * *

"Well, today's the day." Lydia muttered to herself as she looked down at her wrist.

Everyone in the world has a soul mate. You were born with either the date you meet or your soul mate's first words on your wrist. The date starts out black, the color of a raven or the night sky without stars, and the closer you get to the day you meet, the more it fades. The words are black your whole life, until the day you meet your soul mate. Then, as you gradually start to fall in love, they start to fade away. They turn from black to gray to silver, and eventually, they're just gone.

Lydia looked at the date that was written in cursive on her wrist. It looked more like a white tattoo, almost like it was merely scratched into her skin. _August 26, 2013_. Otherwise known as her first day of college. She had been waiting years for this day, literally. Malia and Kira had been so lucky to find each other so early, they literally met when they were five.

"It's so cheesy Lyds." Allison said to her best friend and roommate as she looked down at her own wrist. She had gotten the words of her soul mate instead. The only thing about the words is that you never know what day will be the day. Lydia didn't think she could handle the anxiety of not knowing and was thankful she had received the date.

Lydia merely rolled her eyes at her best friend's comment. The whole meeting your soul mate on the first day of college wasn't exactly new and unique or whatever, but Lydia liked the idea. It was traditional and simple, she couldn't wait to meet whoever it was. "You're just jealous because I know exactly when I get to meet mine and all you get is 'It's alright, it'll come right out." Lydia said with a smirk as the two best friends walked out their dorm.

"All I'm saying is that your story's been done before." Allison with a smirk as they walked around campus, heading to the cafe for a coffee before their first class. Lydia sighed, looking over at her best-friend. Allison was convinced she was going to meet her soul mate later on in life, probably in some rustic little coffee shop in San Francisco. She would order some drink and turn around before knocking into this gorgeous gentleman, who would say the magic words after she apologized profusely. Allison had told Lydia her theory at least a hundred times.

"I know, but I like it. It's just simple, what could possibly go wrong?" Lydia said as the two friends walked into the cafe. It was crowded with a ton of students and the two girls chatted about their first classes. They got their coffee and before they knew it, they were on their way to their classes. But just as the two of them were crossing the road, an old, powder blue jeep came spinning around the corner. Fortunately, the driver slammed on the brakes just in time to leave them unscathed. Lydia had dropped her latte on the ground in her fright, and she looked down at the caffeine she desperately needed which was now spilling onto the pavement. The jeep pulled over to the side as Allison grabbed her best friend and pulled her over to the sidewalk. Lydia looked up as the driver's side door opened and she watched the guy climb out, looking worried. Allison looked over at her best friend, and Lydia vaguely heard her best friend ask her if she was alright, but she ignored it.

Her eyes were focused on the distracted driver that had almost run her over on the first day of college. In any other situation, she'd take the proper time to take a good look at the person she was about to blow up on, but she was too busy thinking about the life threatening accident that had almost occurred. "I paid $4.50 for that latte you nitwit!" Lydia seethed, throwing her hands up and glaring at the stranger. The boy opened his mouth to say something, but it immediately shut and his eyes widened after she spoke.

"Wait, what did you say?" He asked, taking a step closer to her. Lydia just rolled her eyes, he obviously wasn't the brightest light bulb in the bunch.

"I said, I paid $4.50 for that latte you nitwit! And now it's splattered on the pavement, and you almost ran us over! Who just drives around carelessly like that, almost running college freshman over on their first day of classes?!" Lydia was about to go on, but she stopped talking when he grabbed her wrist and flipped it over, reading the almost invisible date on it. She yanked it back, what was wrong with this boy? Was he raised by a pack of wolves with no manners? "What are you doing?" She asked, glaring at him. The boy smiled up at her and held out his wrist. She looked over at Allison, who just shrugged. Lydia gave in and looked down at the wrist, before gasping at what she saw.

_"I paid $4.50 for that latte you nitwit"_ was written clearly on his wrist in the same exact cursive that Lydia's date was written in. She looked up at the boy standing in front of her, her mouth slightly agape. This was her soul mate? He scratched his neck as his eyes focused on the ground.

"I never really imagined meeting like this." He admitted, looking up at her with a shy smile. "I'm sorry. I'm Stiles, I guess I'm your soul mate. And don't worry, I'll buy you another one sometime." He said, his smile growing as he looked down at her. Lydia took the time to actually look at the boy standing in front of her- Stiles, she remembered. He wore a blue and green plaid shirt and jeans, and it really suited him. He was pretty attractive, not too lanky and not too muscular. His hair looked like he had gelled it up neatly, and Lydia noticed his eyes were a bright brown color, like amber. She also noticed the moles that speckled his face and how they seemed to work with the pale, smooth skin he had. Actually, he was... very attractive.

She smiled up at him and stuck out her hand. "Lydia Martin. It's nice to meet you, you know, aside from the whole almost running me over part." She said as he shook her hand. He just laughed and smiled back at her. There was an instant connection there, like a bond. It was like a strong, red string, tied between the two of them and Lydia just knew that this was right. She smiled at the cute boy once more before her eyes saw the time on his watch. It was 7:45 and she had an 8 A.M. in one of the buildings a couple of blocks away.

"You're gonna have to buy me that latte some other time, I'm running a bit late for my 8 A.M." Lydia turned around, ready to get running to the building when he grabbed her wrist.

"Wait!" He spun her around to face him and Lydia felt surprised at the overwhelming reaction her body had from being in contact with his. "I can give you a ride." He said, gesturing to his Jeep. Lydia bit her lip and looked over at Allison who merely smiled at her best friend.

"Go ahead, my class isn't till later anyways and I need to get a new coffee." She said. Lydia smiled gratefully at her best friend before turning back to Stiles and nodding.

"Alright, let's go." He smiled back briefly before they made their way to his Jeep and Stiles opened the door for her.

"After you." He said, smiling at her. She just grinned as she stepped up into the old Jeep and he shut the door behind her. Maybe this soul mate thing wouldn't be so bad after all. Once he got in, Lydia told him what building her class was in and he started the vehicle up and sped off towards the other side of campus.

"So, where are you from Stiles?" Lydia asked, looking out the window as the building flew past.

"Oh, I'm from Beacon Hills. So is Scott." He answered absentmindedly.

"Who's Scott?" She asked, turning to face him.

"Oh, he's my best friend. I was supposed to meet him at the cafe for some coffee which is why I was headed that way, but he can wait a few minutes." Stiles said, keeping his eyes focused on the road. Lydia smiled to herself and blushed as she looked down at her hands. "What about you?" Stiles asked, looking over at her briefly before turning back to face the road.

"Oh, I'm from San Francisco. So is Allison, the other girl you almost ran over." Lydia said with fake nonchalance. Stiles just chuckled.

"This is gonna be one of those stories that you tell everybody, right?" He asked as they pulled up in front of the building. Lydia laughed along and nodded before turning to face him.

"Come on, it's too good not to tell. Who else almost runs over their soul mate?" She said.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Well, I know you gotta get going, but I was wondering... when do you wanna meet up for that coffee I owe you?" He asked the question with hopeful eyes, as if she was going to say no. She was already starting to grow fond of the guy sitting in front of her. They just had this strong connection, Lydia could feel it passing between them.

"Hmmm, how about tonight? At 7? And, if you manage not to almost run me over again, I might even give you my number." She teased lightly. He looked down sheepishly and Lydia, in a moment of boldness, leaned over and kissed his cheek. She pulled away and watched as he looked at her with wide eyes, stunned by the gesture. She smirked and opened the door, climbing out of the car. "And thanks for the ride." She said before she closed the door. She started walking towards the building and turned around seeing him watching her with an amazed look on his face.

She had smiled more in one day than she had in the past week, and she had a feeling that she'd be doing it a lot more often too. She was sure that she was never going to get tired of it as long as Stiles was the reason for it. Lydia never would have thought she'd meet her soul mate by almost getting hit by a car, but hey, a girl can't pick and choose. She was glad it was Stiles though. She knew that things were going to be great for them, she just felt it.

* * *

**A.N.- I know, extremely cheesy and corny, but I hope you liked it. It's better than making you guys cry, right? Well, feedback is always appreciated, so drop a review and thanks for reading! Still working on that mechanic AU part 2. **


	9. Pretend

**_Drabble based off the Stydia scene in 5x05_**

* * *

He could feel the cold, hard brick wall on his back and it was a refreshing change from the heat of his blood pumping through his veins, surging with adrenaline and fear _(and maybe something else)._ His shoulder hurt, both from being pressed against the wall and from bending around at an angle _(but he didn't mind)_. His heart was pounding beneath his rib cage and his breath came out in ragged, uneven breaths _(then again so did hers)._ The silence is eerie until suddenly it's not so quiet and he can hear footsteps _(her hand grips his arm just a little bit tighter_). He thinks for a second that they're coming for him, for her – for them – as the sounds echo off the empty halls _(and he hears her swallow just a little bit loud)._ And for a moment, just a moment, he asks himself what he would do if they set foot through the door _(but he already knows)_. He asks himself, would I still be willing to put my life on the line for this girl _(and he would)_. It's a fleeting question as his arm tightens around her and the footsteps fade, but he questions himself why? _(The answer is so automatic it makes a lump form in his throat)_ Because he cares about her. He always has, and he always would _(but is that really all there is?)_ He doesn't answer the last question though as the lights flicker on and he pushes it into the back of his thoughts_ (because now is not the time to admit he still loves her)_ And when she says it's okay, he tells her it's not and he holds onto her for just a minute longer _(so maybe he can pretend they are)._


	10. Moments

Moments

**Music Inspiration**_**:**__ Saturn – Sleeping at Last / I Found (acoustic) – Amber Run_

Summary: All of the times Lydia realizes her feelings for Stiles / canon / Lydia-centric

* * *

The first time Lydia realizes her feelings for him is probably when she's standing in his bedroom and he's yelling at her, telling her that he needs her, that he'll be devastated if she's ever hurt. She can tell by the sincerity in his words and the way his eyes light up that he's being completely truthful, and it scares her a bit. She'd always just brushed him off a bit, very aware of his infatuation with her, but as she stares at his bruised cheek and busted lip and he's telling her that he'll literally go out of his mind if she dies, she realizes there just might be more there. More than infatuation, more than a crush. It's a fleeting feeling, and then Jackson comes back and floods her memory and the thought of Stiles Stilinski is forgotten (even if his words still flutter through her mind long after she's left his room).

Jackson leaves, and she's upset but she'll live. She knew they'd never have lasted anyway. They were always tearing each other down just to build each other back up and she knew it was unhealthy. Those couples only work in fiction, not reality. Still, she did love him. So she takes a few months to herself… and by that she means she hooks up with the best looking guy she can find when the want hits her. Nothing replaces that empty space in her heart though. It's kind of hollow until one day… it's not.

And the day that changes is the first day of junior year. One minute Stiles was asking her about the bandage on her ankle and the next, there were hundreds of birds headed their way, flying head first into the windows. She can hear Ms. Blake yelling get down, get down but her instincts have already kicked in and she's pushing her desk away, prepared to curl into the fetal position with her hands over her head. She never gets the chance though as two arms wrap around her upper body and tuck her close against their owner's body. She doesn't even have to look at the plaid long sleeves or smell his cologne to know that it's Stiles. It's always Stiles. And instead of pushing him away, she grabs onto his arms with her hands and buries herself further, trying to ignore the way her heart feels fuller when his hold gets tighter and he whispers, "It's okay, I've got you."

Things only got worse after that. She's never thought about what Stiles is to her until he's stepping into a puddle of gasoline as his brainwashed best friend holds a flare in his hand, ready to send them both up in smoke. Lydia's heart nearly stops as Stiles steps towards Scott, and she can't seem to find her breath even as he speaks. She doesn't really hear all of his speech, all of her attention is zeroed in on the flare in Scott's hand, but Stiles gets through to him, of course he does. Lydia watches with wide eyes as Stiles takes the flare out of his hand and throws it out of reach of the gasoline. She exhales in relief because they're safe. It's when she breathes and her lungs fill once again that she realizes just how worried she'd been about them. Genuinely concerned, terrified even. She remembers the way her heart had nearly stopped as Stiles walked towards his own death, but before she can even analyze what that means her eye catches the light of the flare as it rolled back into the gasoline and it's too late to tell them to move. She screams and she runs on reflex, not thinking about what might happen, not caring about what might happen, and she throws her weight into Stiles. The three of them fall to the ground just in time as the gasoline lights up in flames and she feels herself shaking as she lays on top of Stiles. Then it hits her that she just risked her life for Stiles. And that night as the rest of her friends are sleeping on the bus, she glances over at the boy in the seat next to her, his head lolled back and his mouth slightly open, and her mind goes back to his words all those nights ago in his bedroom_ (and she secretly wonders what she'd do if she lost him, too)._

Then she did the absolute stupidest thing she ever could've done. _She kissed him. _She had her arm around his waist and was practically dragging him into the locker room as each shaky breath came from his lips, and each one was quicker than the last. They make it half way across the room when he bangs against the lockers and slides down to the floor and she's freaking out because she's never seen him like this. He can't breathe, he can't think, his world is spinning and she just wants to help. She tries, too, she tries to help him but she only makes it worse. She tells him 'slow your breathing' and he repeats he can't, he can't. She watches as his hand goes to clutch his chest and she's saying his name over and over but it's like he can't hear her. That's when she couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed his face in her hands and forced him to look at her and she saw this boy, this beautiful boy just terrified and she did the only thing she could think to do. She leaned in and crashed her lips against his. She shut her eyes tight and kissed him, hard. She didn't know what she expected but it _definitely_ wasn't this – this kiss was something else entirely from any kiss she'd ever had. It had so much emotion in it, every single bottled up 'what if' and 'maybe' just exploded and suddenly, his lips weren't frozen anymore and he kissed her back. She felt her heart racing and her head was spinning, and she kissed him back for just one more lingering second before pulling away. She kept her eyes closed as goosebumps swept across her skin despite the warm sunlight she could feel radiating against her skin. Or maybe that was just the blood racing through her veins because she had just kissed Stiles Stilinski and she had liked it. She had liked it _a lot. _

She knew she was fucked the second she opened her eyes and she saw him staring back, confused. His amber eyes were wide, his lip was trembling, but he was breathing alright. Then he asked her, "why'd you do that," in the most broken voice she'd ever heard from him and she just wanted to kiss him all over again. But she couldn't… they couldn't. So she made up this excuse about reading somewhere that holding your breath could stop a panic attack while she prayed to God her heart slowed down and her lips could stop buzzing because she would never get to kiss Stiles Stilinski again.

It's later on that same day when she hears something that had never occurred to her. Emotional Tether. Deaton explains that in order for the sacrifice to work, the person holding you under has to be able to pull you back. Apparently, Lydia was Stiles' emotional tether. She was the one that could pull him back. And as he looked at her from across the room, those same amber eyes from the locker room look guilty now and she can see the memory from earlier that day swimming in their depths. She smiles at him shyly because there's no way he could know she's thinking of the same thing, and those two words, _emotional tether_, just keep ringing in her head. As they get ready Lydia can't help but think back to a year ago. She didn't even _know _Stiles. She only knew him as Stiles Stilinski, the overly sarcastic, lanky, love struck boy from second period. When he looks over his shoulder at her for the last time, she realizes she knows him in so many more ways now: she knows him as Stiles, the one she was supposed to call when she finds a dead body. She knows him as Stiles, the selfless boy who would die for anyone he really cared about. She knows him as Stiles, the boy whose lips made her feel things _nobody _had ever made her feel before, and she now knows him as Stiles, her emotional tether _(because if they were reversed and she was sacrificing herself, she had a feeling it wouldn't be Allison holding her under)_

She buries anything she feels for him and ignores any and all thoughts about the boy with pale, mole splattered skin and a sharp, witty tongue. She doesn't need another complication in her life

Weeks later, she's laying on his bed and pestering him about his color choice of yarn when it comes back. Her mind flashes back to hours earlier that day when she thought she was on the right trail. She was sure of it, and he believed her. He pulled the fire alarm for her, following her instinct, but it was all for nothing. She asks him if he got detention and he answers her so casually, "Yup, every day this week." Then he looks over his shoulder, reassuring her that he doesn't mind, reminding her that he believed her, insisting they were onto something. She looks down as she begins to twist and tie the red string around her fingers, trying to get her mind off the overwhelming doubt. There was no proof, she must have been wrong. Her eyes flicker as her negative thoughts start to get louder until he's there, kneeling down in front of her, his eyes looking right at hers. He's reassuring her, telling her she was right and that she can't doubt herself now. But still, she'd screwed up something. She just didn't know what. All she knew was that there was no scent, no bomb, and that meant no proof. And on top of all that, she had gotten him in trouble.

Then his fingers are touching hers, unwrapping the string and he's talking but for a minute she can't hear him as the blood rushes through her ears and her heart speeds up a few beats. Her eyes are stuck on him when she comes back to it, listening to his words, watching his lips move and his fingers pulling at the string, _feeling _his skin against hers, soft and gentle_. _She knows he's being completely honest when he says he believes her, and she knows it even more when he looks at her and says he would go back to the school, right then and there, just to prove she was right. The look he gives her is so sincere, so genuine, that when it combines with his words it makes her heart burst just a little bit, and she has to look away from his brown eyes as she licks her lips or else she's afraid she might do something stupid again. She feels her heart swell for a moment and she has to remind herself to catch her breath. And moments later she's shoving the memory into the back of her mind as she follow him out the door.

It's less than a month later when she hears him through the radio and it is the most terrifying thing she's ever experienced up to that point. She hears his whimpers, his cries, his whispers. It's all so soft and barely there at first until she steps closer, focusing her attention on it, calling out to him in her mind. Stiles… Stiles… Stiles… until she hears him say "come find me" and he sounds so_ lost and broken_ it damn near breaks her heart and she doesn't even say anything to Aiden before she's rushing out the door, her painting forgotten. The first place she goes to is his house because this might all be a hallucination. It might all just be a figment of her imagination, but she starts to doubt that as Aiden calls him repeatedly on her phone, each call going straight to voice mail. She finally gets to his house and he's not there and her heart sinks to her stomach because he's out there somewhere; alone, cold, lost, scared. She tells the others to go on without her because _she feels something_. She tells them she'll catch up but there's something hidden in this room. She takes her time, walking around, trying to find it when Aiden shows her a picture of her drawing. It's framed and everything, the drawing of the Nemeton she drew over and over for weeks before they realized what it was. "He likes you a lot, doesn't he?" Aiden asks, flipping the frame over and revealing a note to her. _For Lydia. _And her breath hitches in her throat and her heart skips a beat as she sees the note and her mind wonders what could be hidden behind those folds. She doesn't have time to dwell on it though because finally, she hears something. She knows where he is.

Except she doesn't. Hours later and she's sitting in the hospital waiting room with Scott sitting on her right as her heart pounds and her mind races. She felt it, she was _so_ sure of it. She would've sworn on her life that he was there. It ran so deep she'd felt it in her bones. But sure enough, she led them to the empty basement of a mental institution. Stiles had been nowhere to be found and they were all hopeless as they left until Scott got a call saying they found him. And then there they were, waiting. Lydia's thoughts are so consuming she doesn't realize the doctor's walking towards them until Scott nudges her. She whips her head up and she sees the white coat and she's on her feet. The second she hears, "He's okay now, he's sleeping," her eyes close and she exhales in relief and her heart slows down a bit. That's all that matters tonight, he's okay.

Soon enough though, she realizes that Stiles is not okay. He's not even close. She's never felt so bad for someone else before. She just wants him to have his body back, his mind back. At the same time, she feels a bit selfish too because she just wants Stiles back, the real one. And above all she feels utterly helpless because not even Deaton knows how to save him and it's like watching someone you love die in front of you, except it's more painful because it's Stiles body, it's his voice, _but it's not him. _And it's killing her. That's why she decides to go into his mind to save him. At this point, she would do anything to help him, to save him. She's risked her life for him before, and God knows he's risked his life for her, too. She doesn't even hesitate to volunteer. She just wants to have Stiles back.

And they get him back. They do. But he's still not okay. He's even worse. But she's not there to know that, because the nogitsune takes her away. The single most terrifying thing Lydia has ever faced was when she was stuck in those tunnels with that spirit. He could her Stiles' screams echoing off the walls (just one of the many tortured voices she hears in her head). The spirit would whisper in her ear and it made her cold to the bone. He would laugh and it would have this menacing, evil, maniacal tone. He could quirk his lips into a condescending smirk that made her shudder. And above all, his fingers would touch her and it'd make her skin crawl because _this was not Stiles_. But if this replica was anything to guess on, she could guess Stiles wasn't doing too well, and when he shows up to save her it's just concrete proof he's still not okay (_she really needs him to be okay). _They're running back through the tunnels and she's right behind Scott, running as fast as she can when he hears her name from behind her, twice, and she turns back to see Stiles falling against the wall. And she wants to follow Scott, warn the others and if it's too late, help them, save them. But she takes a few steps back and grabs his body before he can fall completely. He's shivering and his skin is icy to the touch and she's wide-eyed as she looks at him and she realizes he's dying. So she stays there, kneeling in the very tunnel she's been tortured in for hours and watches as Scott runs to the rescue, staying right beside the boy who needs her the most. She doesn't even leave when she feels the stab in the stomach or tears running down pale cheeks or that last, dying breath. She doesn't even leave as she feels Allison die. She just falls against him as sobs wrack her body and she clings to his shirt, wanting him to wake up and hold her against his chest and whisper something to soothe the pain. She just wanted him to help her heal. She just needs him.

The next night, she's supporting all his weight, practically carrying him towards the school and into God knows what. She never lets go of him though, no matter how much he's leaning on her. That's what she's there for, after all. As they're walking into the school her mind briefly flashes back to the last time she was practically dragging him somewhere but she shakes the memory of sunlit lockers and concrete floors out of her mind. Now is not the time.

And then they're standing in the middle of a battlefield, clinging to each other as chaos unfolds around them. Her arms are wrapped around him and her heart is exploding under her chest and she's _scared. _She can feel him shaking beside her (from the fright or feeling faint, she can't tell which) and she can't tear her eyes away as her friends fight and fight but nothing happens.

Then Stiles is pulling away from her and scrambling towards Kira's sword, and she can't do anything as she stands there powerless and watches as he holds it up to himself. She's shaking her head, trying to find the words but nothing's coming out. Her brain is on the fritz and all she can do is stand there, frozen, as Scott yells at him not to. Then she hears his voice, unsteady and scared, asking what if it saves them, and that must trigger something because as her eyes stay glued to the shiny metal the words are coming out of her mouth before she can even think. What if it's another trick? It's a trickster spirit, right? It feeds off pain, strife, chaos. All it's done so far was set up trap after trap, trick after trick. But then the spirit is shaking his head back at her and she's too terrified to look but she can hear it saying "no more tricks, Lydia." She tunes out after that, watching the light reflect as Stiles' hands shake violently and oh God, how could it end like this? It can't, it just can't. She's shaking as much as he is and she feels her eyes glass with tears and her heart feels like it is bursting and she's so scared for him. She's holding back everything she wants to say with her lips pursed tight. She wants to scream, but her voice is somewhere in her throat and time is moving too fast as she watches him fight with himself, building up the will and she can feel her voice again and the words "Don't," and "I love you," are on the tip of her tongue when he looks to the side, his arms and hands still. She has no idea what he sees or why it changes his mind, but suddenly he's taking the sword away from his stomach and she can finally breathe (but she's shaken beyond belief still and she can't quite move). She's never felt more relieved than when he tossed Kira her sword and even though he was weaker than ever, he still held his head up when he said those three words, _a divine move._

Everything turned out alright. He fainted and she was briefly scared that they'd lost him but he woke up soon after. They were all safe, they were all okay. Well, almost all of them. When she heard the sounds of cries from the parking lot, she knew someone was gone. And she had a feeling it had been Aiden. The following weeks meant grieving. They lost two people, two warriors, two soldiers, two friends. Scott lost his first love, Ethan lost his brother. Lydia lost her best friend and her… something. Then Ethan and Isaac left. In perspective, they lost four people. But Lydia _felt _like she lost five.

Stiles was becoming further and further away from her. She needed him, then more than ever and he was pulling away - spending less time with her. He just wasn't around anymore, and she knew why. The reason was one fierce werecoyote who had taken on the position of Stiles' first girlfriend. Lydia wasn't mad at her, she didn't have a right to be. She knew Malia couldn't take Allison's place in their group, nobody could. But Malia wasslowly taking _her_ place.

They rarely talked by the time the dead pool situation rolled around. The only time they saw each other was when they were with everybody else. But she had no one to blame but herself, really. She'd be lying if she said she didn't notice the way her and Stiles' relationship had changed over the past months. She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel something for Stiles now. But he was somebody else's now, she'd had her chances. So she forgot about the way his fingers always used to find their way to hers so naturally, she forgot about the way her heart stopped when she thought he was gone (on more than one occasion), and she completely buried memories of amber eyes flowing with awe and confusion in dimly lit locker rooms, and she tried her best to not remember the way his lips felt against hers.

So it came as a shock when he wrapped his arms around her in his bedroom after the phone call about Meredith. It'd been so long since she'd felt his touch that it kind of overloaded her senses. She ignored the feeling she got, like her heart had just been electrified and brought back to life. She stood there, trying to sort out whatshe _should_ feel, what she _was _feeling as his arms held her against his chest and the smell that was purely Stiles flooded her with comfort. She decided for this moment, just this one time, she would forget about the benefactor, about Meredith and Malia and just forget about everything and her arms wrapped around his torso as her eyes fluttered shut and she inhaled deeply, trying to pretend that they could stay like that.

But of course they couldn't. And after that moment, she locked up everything she remembered, everything she felt. Now was not the time (and she was starting to think it never would be).

It's not much later when she finds herself tied up in the basement of Eichen House, listening to her grandmother's murder. Her heart is breaking and the murderer himself is sitting inches away from her and she wants to be strong but she can't as tears softly streak her cheeks. She hears the sound of handcuffs clinking against the pole and then suddenly Stiles' voice is whispering to her. "Lydia, look at me. Don't listen." She turns towards him as best as she can, listening to his voice, trying to focus on the familiar comfort his voice usually brings, the smoothness and the relief that she wants to so desperately grasp. _Focus on my voice Lydia, block it out. _But she hears her grandmother breathing in, each gasp is a struggle. It's so faint but yet it's so loud and as much as she wants to listen to Stiles, to focus on him and only him she _just_ _can't_. Her breaths match the ones on the tape, shaky and watery, and she feels tears falling down her cheeks every time she blinks. She turns her head forward and leans her head back as her heart breaks with every breath she hears on the tape. She hears Stiles say her name but all she can think about is the tape, the memory. Then she hears Stiles yelling turn it off_, _and her eyes snap open and all she sees is Brunski winding his fist back before she's shouting _no, stop _but the sound of skin on skin tells her it's too late and she hears Stiles hit the ground and then Brunski's hand is grabbing her jaw, facing her forward.

He's whispering in her ear and she's thinking about so much, about how horrified she is that this killer's hands, probably once covered in blood, is touching her. She's thinking about how her grandmother felt and if Stiles is okay but then she hears a whisper, her nickname, _Ariel, _and all the thoughts fade away as her grandmother takes her last breath.

The tape is over but the torture's not and she can feel it in the air. Trouble. Danger. Death. The odds aren't exactly in their favor, either. She doesn't even think as Brunski starts leaning towards Stiles, the sick expression of pleasure on his face, and words flow out of her mouth, "_no, no, no." _It turns into a mantra, but she doesn't expect it when he lunges towards her and suddenly there's a needle pressed to her neck and she's terrified. But through it all she hears Stiles scream and then she hears metal on metal and then Parrish bursts in.

They both made it out safe, thanks to Parrish. But Lydia would never forget what she felt when she turned to let Stiles free, only to notice one of his hands were already broken out. The metal on metal sound she heard must've been because of that. Stiles broke free just to try and save her, no supernatural powers, no super strength, just sheer will and desperation. She wouldn't get her hopes up or anything, the memories and the feelings, those were all still buried way down deep… but it had to count for something, right?

Finally, their senior year rolls around and Lydia is almost relieved. She's begun to get closer to Stiles again, little by little. He's still with Malia, though, but Lydia's a bit more okay with that now. She likes Malia, Malia makes him happy and they're good together. As long as he's happy, then what more could she ask for. It didn't matter that her heart ached a bit when she lay alone, awake at night and she could feel that he wasn't. It didn't matter that she still had dreams where she could _feel _his fingers running over hers, where she could feel his jaw in her hand andhis lips pressed against hers. God knows she had her chance to call him hers, and she'd given it away. So none of that mattered. All that mattered was that he was happy. Still, she can't deny the way she felt when she saw him standing at the end of the hall that night, rain speckled plaid shirt and raindrops still clinging to his hair and his neck. She remembered her best friend's voice in her head, "_Remember what it feels like, all those times in school when you see him standing down the hall and you cannot breathe until you're with him."_ Now, she thinks she understands what Allison had meant. And she _swears _she sees the same look he used to give her, the one of awe and admiration and just _something_ so overwhelming, but it's gone the second she blinks and her heart drops a little, but she puts on a smile as she marches towards them and mentally tells her heart to slow down.

It's only a few days later, two weeks at most when she gets hurt. And it hurts like hell, it really does. As a fresh wave of pain rolls over her, she's suddenly reminded how _human_ she really is despite being a banshee. She feels the blood against her skin, seeping into her clothes. She feels nausea start to kick in and she feels herself sweating, struggling to stay awake, fighting to stay alive, really, as Kira freaks out above her, putting pressure on the wound. She closes her eyes and she can't help the groans that slip out of her mouth as she feels her energy fading and she's getting tired – getting weak. The blood is sticky against her skin, a mixture of old and fresh, dry and slick, and she tries to distract herself when she hears the scuffling of shoes. She wants to open her eyes but she can't find it in her so she just grimaces more as someone else comes running towards her, pushing Kira out of the way. For a moment, Lydia's terrified until she feels a belt wrapping around her torso and the pressure intensifies. Time is passing by so slow to her, and she forces her eyes open to see just who had made the tourniquet around her waist.

It's not until she turns her head to the side that she finally sees him. And god, he looks _broken_. She's never quite seem him like this, not once. His eyes are stuck, frozen on her, and they keep flickering from her face to her side. Those whiskey eyes she loves so much are wide and terrified and glassy. He looks like the definition of devastated and she wants to laugh at the irony as her mind flashes back to the night that started it all and his voice echoes in her mind, his words _"I'll be devastated,"_ ring through her head. After all this time, it was still true.

He's breathing heavily and she can see that he's shaking just a bit, ever so slightly, and she wants to get up and comfort him, just tell him that she's fine, that she'll be okay. But then her mother is there and he snaps out of it as she almost falls on him, taking in the scene. She rushes to Lydia's side but Stiles is still standing in the doorway, his feet are glued to the spot and his eyes are glued on her. She suddenly realizes Scott is calling his name, he's calling for Stiles. She feels weak but she keeps her eyes open, watching as Stiles looks over his shoulder quickly, briefly, before looking right back at her again, ignoring Scott. She can see it in his eyes, _fear. _Fear that if he looks away, she might not be there when he looks back. Fear that if he leaves, he won't see her ever again. And as she looks back into those scared amber eyes she remembers just why she loves this boy. She loves him, she really does. She finally lets herself think it, finally admits it - She loves him. And because he's standing here, ignoring his best friend and ignoring his dad and his eyes are fixed on her and he looks so broken and lost, so _fragile_, she thinks he might still love her too. And she knows he's not going to leave her.

But he has to. As much as she wants him to stay (she wants him to stay by her side more than _anything_), she knows he can't. There are too many people worrying about her and too many people helping her. So she smiles because what else can she do, and she tells him she's fine. "Stiles, I'm fine. Help Tracy." But he doesn't move, and her heart aches a little bit as she yells "go" and then he's turning around, grabbing onto his father as they walk towards Scott. She watches him as he goes and she keeps smiling because he keeps looking over his shoulder to make sure she's still there, still breathing, still alive. She watches as he disappears around the corner and once he's gone she closes her eyes and grimaces, putting her hand on her side as she hears the sirens of the ambulance get closer. She's just gonna have to hold on a little longer, but she's going to be fine. She has to be, because she knows he'll go out of his mind if she dies and she can't have that.

* * *

**A.N- After that scene in 5x04 and a series marathon of Teen Wolf, I just had to write about these two again. These are the big Stydia moments that I, personally, feel like Lydia realizes she feels something for Stiles. I left a few out, like "figure it out, 5x02" and "shoot it, 2x11" but that's because I only wanted to focus on a few of the beautiful moments these two have shared (and yes, I got carried away). So, in conclusion, after that scene you cannot tell me Stiles doesn't still** **have feelings for Lydia and vice versa.**


End file.
